


Two Worlds

by NarcissaM20



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Dirty Talk, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Oblivious Obi-Wan Kenobi, Oral Sex, Possessive Behavior, Praise Kink, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Protective Qui-Gon Jinn, Protective Roman Sionis, Roman Sionis has issues, Romance, Secrets, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:01:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 86,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25453561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NarcissaM20/pseuds/NarcissaM20
Summary: Obi-wan Kenobi has worked hard making sure he has his own life cut out for himself and that nobody knows about his past. But one fateful evening, with a small push from his longtime friend Qui-gon, Obi-wan finds himself asking about a favour from a man who he never wanted to see again, as well as meeting someone who could be the love of his life.One small moment can lead to many new and exciting changes for Obi-wan and those around him. Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Qui-gon/Roman Sionis
Comments: 81
Kudos: 91





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I have had this idea in my brain for awhile now and it just wouldn't leave me alone! Therefore, I decided to put pen to paper and write out a story. I'm nervous, but excited too. These characters are going to be going through a lot, but rest assured it will be worth it in the end. 
> 
> If you wish, feel free to leave kuddos or a comment below. This is my first time writing in this fandom, so I am interested to hear your thoughts. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter One

Obi-wan let out a deep sigh as he opened the door to his cottage home. It had been a long day at his campaign office, especially now that they were getting closer to the election. He had never been happier to live on the outskirts of town than he was at this very moment. Knowing that he could take the evening to unwind, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, let alone his own campaign, made him feel more at ease than he had been all day.

Opening the small closet door to his right, Obi-wan took off his raincoat and placed it inside. The weather had been somewhat sympathetic today and had only drizzled rain periodically, instead of the torrential rainstorm that had been predicted earlier that morning. Taking off his dress shoes and placing them methodically inside the closet, Obi-wan listened for a few seconds to see if anyone else was home. Hearing nothing, he ventured further into the sitting room and called out to his roommate. 

“Qui, are you home?” 

Before he could make it to the stone fireplace which had a small fire going, Qui-gon opened the swinging door to their kitchen and came towards him. He smiled warmly at Obi-wan and threw the checkered dish towel he had been using to dry his hands with over his shoulder.

“I thought I heard you Obi-wan. I was just getting our supper organized,” Qui-gon spoke in his usual calm, measured tones and Obi-wan smiled to himself. This was one of the many reasons why he had said yes to Qui-gon all those years ago when he had suggested that the two of them live together. He had a positive aura around him, which constantly soothed Obi-wan’s nerves (something that was often on display if he was being honest with himself).

As thought Qui-gon heard his inner thoughts, he stepped closer to Obi-wan and leaned against the fireplace before crossing his arms against his solid chest. Obi-wan noticed that he looked tired too, if not as weary as him and that he was wearing comfortable clothes, which meant that he had been home for a little while. Qui-gon’s hair was pulled back halfway into a ponytail and he seemed at peace. 

All in all, it was what Obi-wan liked most about Qui-gon. For even though Qui-gon was an imposing figure, he never made Obi-wan uncomfortable. Instead, Obi-wan felt as though he could share his innermost thoughts with his friend. Smiling tiredly, Obi-wan took a step backwards to get closer to the fireplace and warm his back and hands.

“You look tired Obi. How was your day?”

Obi-wan shrugged his shoulders, “oh you know, the same old I’m afraid. I do not know why I got myself talked into going against Palpatine during this election. That man is infuriating at the best of times. He came by my campaign office today to wish me luck as we get closer to the voting day, but anyone with a brain could see he was doing it to look good. As if he cares what happens to me or my campaign…”

“Especially when he knows you are the favourable candidate and likely to win,” Qui-gon interrupted, placing a hand on Obi’s shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

Obi-wan let out a small sigh, “yeah, I guess you could say that.”

Qui-gon let go of Obi-wan’s shoulder and pointed a finger at him, “and let us not forget that nobody had to twist your arm too hard to get you to run again him. Everybody loves you and you have some wonderful ideas to share. You aren’t called the _Negotiator_ for nothing you know.”

Obi-wan had to roll his eyes at that one. Yes, that was his nickname and well known around town and in the city of Coruscant if he was being honest with himself. A year ago, when he had been propositioned with the idea to run again Palpatine and his ilk, Obi-wan had only taken a couple of days to agree to running in the upcoming election. He knew what Palpatine stood for and the dirty dealings he had going on. Unbeknownst to anyone but Qui-gon, he had firsthand experience with some of the dealings with Palpatine thanks to a close relation. But _that_ wasn’t something he wanted to think about right now. 

He had gotten his nerves somewhat settled since coming home and just speaking with Qui-gon for the short amount of time that he had, made him feel better. He didn’t need to think about anything else at the moment. 

“Let’s just say that when I knew I could leave for the day, I was looking forward to spending the evening with you and enjoying some lighthearted company. I may also be looking forward to the spectacular meal I know you have planned,” Obi-wan took his hands from behind his back and rubbed them together delightedly while giving Qui-gon a knowing look.

Qui-gon tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh. Looking at Obi-wan with a warm smile, his eyes twinkled as he said, “well if pasta and tomato sauce is considered spectacular than by all means I hope you enjoy it.”

“My God that sounds amazing,” Obi-wan said heartily as he followed Qui-gon into their shared kitchen and began to help organize plates. The kitchen was one of Obi-wan’s favorite places in their cottage. It was spacious without being overbearing, it had a large island in the middle and large double doors leading out to their backyard, which Obi-wan considered to be his first favourite place. When Obi-wan had first learned about Qui-gon’s cottage he had been hesitant to live with him because he wasn’t sure if he wanted to live outside of Coruscant, let alone live with his best friend. People were more than willing to gossip. But after seeing the land and falling in the love with the English countryside cottage that Qui-gon owned, he was sold. 

As Qui-gon lifted the pasta pot and began pouring the hot water and cooked noodles into the strainer, Obi-wan went to their wine rack and picked a wine to complement their meal. A few minutes later, both of them were seated around their dining room table, the aroma of a home cooked meal wafting towards Obi-wan and making him feel better than he had all day. Looking across the table at Qui-gon, he saw the man taking his cloth napkin and placing it gently in his lap before looking up at smiling warmly at him.

Out of nowhere, Obi-wan was struck with a feeling of loneliness so strong he had to quickly look away. It wasn’t because he was wanting for his friend, but rather he wanted to have someone in his life who he could share a meal with, just like he was doing now with Qui-gon. He wanted it so badly that it made his chest ache. 

Over the past couple of years, Obi-wan had come to wanting a partner more than anything, but his personality and his lifestyle certainly stopped that from happening. If he wasn’t dating someone who knew who he was and what he did for a living, therefore using his connections to get ahead, it was some poor bastard who didn’t know who he was and upon finding out, couldn’t find the will to continue on. If they did, more often than not it was his personality that got in the way. He didn’t mean to be so serious, so needy, and so very studious in his career, but that was what happened when you grew up in a family who never took you seriously and who were so corrupt that they forgot about Obi-wan until he was old enough to say that he never wanted their lifestyle and quickly walked out of their lives. All except for one that is…

Whenever a relationship failed, Obi-wan was nothing if not respectful (what else could he be really), and the person he was seeing would leave with the idea that Obi-wan understood where they were coming from and wished them no ill will. What they didn’t know was that Obi-wan died a little bit on the inside each and every time someone decided he was too much work. Each time a lover walked away on him, Obi-wan succumbed to the sadness that he would never find someone. That he was just too much effort. That he was never good enough and would forever be alone. 

Each time he would come home, heart on his sleeve, and it would be Qui-gon who would be there to comfort him. This was one of the many reasons he loved living with Qui-gon. The man was sympathetic, but hard on him when he needed to be. Whenever he would come home alone, Qui-gon would sit with him and they would talk it through. Qui-gon would give advice and would be a shoulder that Obi-wan could cry on if need be. Afterwards, Obi-wan would feel better and go to bed not feeling as though his whole world was crashing down around him. Obi-wan could only hope that he could do the same for Qui in the future.

If nothing else, whenever Obi-wan crawled into bed those nights and felt the cold sheets surround him, he felt better knowing there was somebody who would always look out for him. Qui-gon was his best friend and treated him as an equal. 

More than anything, Obi-wan wished that he could fall for Qui-gon and physically want him. But after ten years of friendship, both Obi-wan and Qui-gon knew they were better off as friends. 

As if sensing the path that his thoughts were taking once again, Qui-gon cleared his throat and waited until Obi-wan looked up. “You were lost in thought there for a minute Obi. I asked twice if you would like some salad but didn’t get a response.” 

Obi-wan let out a small puff of air and looked away blushing, “it’s nothing important I assure you Qui-gon. I would love some salad.” Reaching across the table, Obi-wan took the small glass bowl from Qui-gon, who gave him a knowing smile. 

“Well, in that case let me tell you what I had happen to me today,” Qui-gon twirled his pasta onto his fork and begin to regale Obi-wan on his day. As a Professor at the local University he was never short on stories when it came to his students as well as his fellow colleagues. By the time Qui-gon was done his tale, both men had finished their supper and were sitting back enjoying their wine. Obi-wan held a hand to his stomach as Qui-gon finished his story.

“I cannot believe a student asked you if this was what you wanted to do when you grown-up,” Obi-wan said in-between laughter. 

Qui-gon shrugged his shoulders and swirled his wine before taking a sip. “Oh, to be young again and ask things that others are too afraid to say,” Qui-gon chuckled while taking one last sip from his glass. 

Obi-wan just smiled and finished his wine. Feeling pleasantly warm, he leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. As always, Qui-gon managed to make him feel better and their evening was turning into yet another pleasant experience. Maybe once the dishes were cleaned up, he and Qui-gon could share a friendly game of chess before going to bed. If only Qui-gon’s students knew what their Professor got up to with him roommate. 

They would be bored to tears!

But if anyone cared to understand, they would quickly recognize that this friendship was more powerful than any other relationship had been for both men since they moved in together five years ago, and nobody understood just how important these quiet moments were for them. 

Just as Obi-wan felt all of the stress leaving his body, Qui-gon leaned across the dining room table and placed his elbows on top before giving him a pointed look and asking, “did you happen to speak to your brother today?”

And just like that Obi-wan’s shoulders began to cramp up. Rubbing a hand down his face, Obi-wan stared at his wine glass intently as if it held all the answers he was looking for. Placing his hand on his beard and rubbing it gently in thought, Obi-wan gave a heavy sigh before answering.

“Not today, I didn’t have time,” he looked up at Qui-gon who was giving him a sympathetic frown. 

“You know it’s only a matter of time before you have to speak to him and ask about his offer to help you finance your campaign Obi.” 

Obi-wan closed his eyes, while still massaging his beard. Of all the evenings to talk about his brother, Obi-wan wished that Qui-gon hadn’t brought him up. He was just starting to feel as though he could enjoy his evening and finish the day on a positive note.

“I know you don’t like talking about him Obi-wan, but you have to admit his offer was a kind one,” Qui-gon spoke softly and waited patiently for Obi-wan to answer him. 

Obi-wan scoffed at that suggestion. Nothing his brother did was kind. 

A couple of weeks ago, his brother had come unannounced to his and Qui-gon’s doorstep with no other pretence than to suggest he offer up some money to help Obi-wan with his campaign. At first, Obi-wan had been direct and somewhat negative, stating to his brother that he didn’t need his help and certainly didn’t need his dirty money, to which his brother had dramatically placed a hand on his heart and said that he would never do anything to jeopardize Obi-wan’s reputation. 

Whether or not his brother had said it with a sneer was besides the point…

“You know my past Qui. You know what my family is like…what my _brother_ is like. What he’s involved in I can’t be a part of. I never have wanted to be a part of it, and I certainly don’t want to be a part of it now. I don’t want to do anything to tarnish my campaign and the hard work everyone has put into supporting me. I don’t know what I would do if my brother somehow used his connections and the money he gains from them to make my campaign run smoothly. I want to be able to do this on my own. Besides, can you imagine what would happen if Palpatine or his cronies found out about us?” 

With a small sigh, Qui-gon got up from his chair and begin to slowly stack plates and silverware. It was obviously that he was thinking carefully about what to say next. He didn’t want to upset him, but at the same time it was apparent that he had something important to say. 

Finally, as he lifted up some plates and bowls, Qui-gon looked at Obi-wan and smiled softly. 

“I know you don’t like talking about your family Obi, and I understand that. With everything you’ve told me I would want to cut all ties with them too. But you and I both found it interesting when your brother decided to move to Coruscant and disassociate himself with your parents. As far as we can tell, he hasn’t been in contact with them for a couple of years now. He’s always kept his distance from you, so I have to admit that I just can’t seem to find a solid reason why your brother would offer to help you in your campaign with money that you know he doesn’t want to part with. Can you think of a reason why he would do that?”

Obi-wan scoffed as he got up and began to help Qui-gon clean up their supper dishes. 

“Gee, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that he is known by every single police officer in Coruscant! Or that he has a hand in the black market, in drugs, and I’m sure even prostitution! You name it, he’s involved in it! Of course, he would want to support his baby brother in an upcoming election. The more money he gives to me now, means the more I have to help him in the future,” Obi-wan put down the dishes he had carried into the kitchen a little too forcibly, knocking some of the utensils that laid on top into the kitchen sink. 

As he had done earlier before, Qui-gon placed a gently hand on Obi-wan’s shoulder and forced him to look at him, sympathetic eyes on him already.

“That may be Obi, but when was the last time your brother actually came to our house and offered any kind of help? In the past he either let you be and pretended you didn’t exist or you only heard from him when he was in dire straits and needed your help, which we both know he only did once because deep down you know he doesn’t like to bother you with such things.” 

“No…he usually doesn’t…” Obi-wan spoke softly as though to himself. He had to admit that his brother left him alone for the most part, which Obi-wan was more than happy about. Maybe Qui-gon was right. Maybe he did need to go see his brother and understand for the last time what he meant by “helping.”

Turning away from Qui-gon, Obi-wan pushed both hands through his hair and let out a deep sigh, before turning back to Qui-gon and pointing an accusatory finger at him. 

“You do realize Qui that I was looking forward to an evening of wine and chess, and that you’ve gone and wrecked it all by forcing me to think about my brother,” Obi-wan narrowed his eyes at him. “I also want to point out that you have yet to meet my brother, and until you do you don’t really know just how manipulative he can be.”

Qui-gon had the audacity to chuckle at him.

“My friend, I will admit I too looked forward to a relaxing evening with you. I’m sorry if you feel stressed again after a somewhat taxing day, but you know the sooner you deal with your brother the better off you will be. See what he has to say and go from there. No decisions have to be made tonight. Come back after speaking with him and we will talk it through together,” Qui-gon smiled warmly as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt so he could begin to wash the dishes. 

“Fine, I’ll go but I expect the have a chess game waiting for me upon my return,” Obi-wan stated as he turned on his heel and began to head out of the kitchen. He knew he sounded like a child, but he couldn’t help himself. His brother brought out the worst in him.

Qui-gon brought his large hands up towards his head and knotted his long hair into a sloppy bun before dipping his hands into the soapy water that was now in the sink.

“I promise I will have the chess game and a glass of sherry waiting for you upon your return,” Qui-gon said with a smile in his voice. 

“Forget the glass, make it the bloody bottle,” quipped Obi-wan before the door to the kitchen closed all the way. He could hear Qui-gon chuckling at his comment as he walked past the fireplace that was now sparking quietly, to retrieve his raincoat and shoes from the hallway closet. Looking out the window, Obi-wan noticed that it was raining harder than it had been all day. 

Making a quick decision, Obi-wan took his favourite umbrella from the umbrella stand by the door and turning the collar up on his raincoat, he headed outside. He could feel himself growing tense with each step he took, as just the thought of speaking to his brother made him anxious. Obi-wan got into his car as quickly as possible, and before hitting the highway he turned on his favourite jazz station and let his seat warmer relax him from the inside out. As Obi-wan continued to drive down the dark highway he decided that he would speak to his brother quickly and without pretence, and he would get out of his brother’s club as soon as possible so as not to attract attention. 

As Obi-wan drove into Coruscant he made sure to park his car on the other side of the street where his brother’s club was. Obi-wan peered at the neon lights, indicating the name of the club _Black Mask_ which looked even brighter in the pouring rain. Obi-wan hadn’t stepped foot in the club for years, knowing too well that if he did, he wouldn’t like what he would see. However, it being a weeknight Obi-wan was hopeful that it wouldn’t be too busy and that nobody would recognize him. Taking his umbrella off of the passenger seat, Obi-wan turned his car off and stepped out into the pouring rain. It was raining even harder in the city than it was in the village on the outskirts of town.

Obi-wan walked briskly towards the club doors, taking note of the heaviness of the door as he pulled it open. Knowing his brother, he would want to intimidate anyone who entered his club before he had to speak to them. 

Obi-wan was hit with a wave of warmth as he moved into the entrance way, immediately taking note of the 1950’s charm his brother’s club seemed to possess. Even the lighting and décor reminded him of a high-end nightclub in the old-fashioned movies he and Qui-gon enjoyed watching from time to time. Obi-wan hated to admit it, but the club had a certain quality to it that he liked. He would never admit that to anyone, not even Qui-gon himself, but his brother wasn’t in the business he was in without knowing a thing or two. 

Behind the thick, velvet red curtains that were currently cutting him off from the main attractions of the club, Obi-wan could hear soft music coming from inside and someone singing. Other than that, he only heard slight murmuring as he listened closely, which meant that he was right. The club wasn’t too busy tonight. 

_ Good. _

With a firmer resolve, Obi-wan lowered his umbrella which he was still holding onto and began to shake it out gently, making note that he didn’t want to make the carpet too wet where he stood. Obi-wan was about to see if someone was available to get his brother for him, but stopped immediately when he heard a soft _Obi-wan_ from his right.

Obi-wan turned his head and saw a handsome young man behind the counter, who was currently placing a book he had been reading down onto the table before him. He had been cast in the shadows which was why Obi-wan hadn’t seen him until now. The young man quickly jumped from the stool he had been sitting on to attend to him. 

As he moved out of the shadows and into the soft lighting above, Obi-wan suddenly knew who it was. He had met him before a couple of times but hadn’t seen this young man in over a year. 

“Hello Anakin,” Obi-wan said quietly. He wouldn’t have known Anakin if the boy hadn’t spoken directly to him. The person before him had changed since the last time he saw him. Obi-wan was quick to realize the closer Anakin walked towards him that he was no longer a boy, but a man. He was now somewhat taller than Obi-wan himself, had the warmest blue eyes Obi-wan had ever seen, and had let his hair grow long. Before Obi-wan could stop himself, he thought about taking his hand that was currently not holding his umbrella and running it through his dirty blonde curls.

_ Fuck. _

Obi-wan shook his head slightly and met Anakin’s stare. The boy no… _man_ …seemed to be unsure on what to do next. Obi-wan cleared his throat and tried again.

“Good evening Anakin. Nice to see you again…” Obi-wan was happy that he could say this without too much strain in his voice. There. See. He could be civilized towards those associated with his brother. 

Anakin smiled broadly at Obi-wan’s statement, showing off his dimples and white teeth which made Obi-wan want to walk over to him and slam his mouth against his without another thought.

_ Sweet Jesus. _ He really was lonely.

Anakin kept on smiling as he spoke. “It’s nice to see you again Obi-wan! It’s…it’s been awhile. Just the other day Rom…” at this Anakin cut himself off, seeing the sudden glare Obi-wan sent his way. 

“I mean…your _brother_ …well…he was saying that he hadn’t seen you in awhile and was hoping you would drop by,” Anakin finished his sentence off quickly as he saw the way Obi-wan’s face pinched at the mention of his brother’s name. Obi-wan had spent a long time refusing to say his brother’s name to anyone, he wasn’t going to start now.

“Did he now? Of course he did. I’m sure he had it planned from day one,” Obi-wan said somewhat angrily. He didn’t know why he said that out loud, especially to Anakin who probably didn’t know the Kenobi family background, let alone why Obi-wan felt so strongly against his brother. 

Anakin’s eyes grew large as he took in Obi-wan’s features. Leaning down, he took Obi-wan's umbrella from him and started shaking it rigorously to get the rest of the rain droplets off.

“No! I…I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant that…your….err, _brother_ had been talking about you one night after the club closed and he mentioned that he was hoping to see you. There wasn’t any malice behind it.” 

Obi-wan watched Anakin’s face as he mentioned his brother again. If nothing else, he was earnest in his attempt to make Obi-wan feel better about his brother and what he said about Obi-wan. Watching the way Anakin was trying to make him feel comfortable, as well as currently strangling his umbrella was somewhat endearing and Obi-wan could only hope that his brother wasn’t using Anakin for an unholy purpose. 

Deciding to change the subject, Obi-wan wanted to focus on other matters. He spotted the book Anakin had been reading and noticed that is was a philosophy book. That alone made Obi-wan do a double take. If Anakin was studying philosophy, what was he doing in a place like this? Before he could say anything, he began to notice that Anakin was still currently shaking the shit out of his umbrella.

Obi-wan met Anakin’s eyes and smiled warmly, “I think my umbrella is dry Anakin. If you don’t mind, I’ll take it from you. I won’t be staying long.”

As though not understanding what Obi-wan meant, Anakin looked puzzled for a moment before looking down and realizing that he was still shaking Obi-wan’s umbrella. 

“Oh…right…here, let me fold it up for you,” and with that Anakin took hold of the middle and pushed the button to fold the umbrella down. But in his haste, he pushed the button and moved his hand up rather than down, making the umbrella go inside out. To make matters worse, both Obi-wan and Anakin heard a distinctive _SNAP_ as the shaft that used to hold the umbrella together snapped in two. 

Obi-wan had to stop himself from laughing at the horrified look on Anakin’s animated face. Instead he put a hand towards his mouth and covered up his laughter by coughing into his hand. 

Obi-wan stared at Anakin who still looked mortified by his behaviour, before clearing his throat and saying with a slight smile, “that was my favourite umbrella you just destroyed.” Immediately upon saying it, Anakin’s eyes went wide, and a slight pout began to present itself as though Obi-wan had truly hurt Anakin’s feelings over wreaking his favorite umbrella. 

“I’m only joking Anakin,” said Obi-wan quietly as though he didn’t want to make Anakin feel worse than he already did. 

Actually…if he could get Anakin to pout like that more often, he would gladly do it…

_ Good heavens what was wrong with him?  _

Obi-wan couldn’t seem to pull himself away from the images Anakin was currently creating in him mind. It took everything in him to stop himself from grabbing his umbrella from Anakin’s strong looking hands, throwing it to the side, grabbing Anakin by the shirt collar and snogging him to within an inch of his life. This man needed some tender loving care, and right now Obi-wan was sure he was just the man to do it. 

_ Get a hold of yourself Obi-wan!  _

Clearing his throat, Obi-wan tried to settle himself as well as wipe the anxious expression off Anakin’s face by smiling widely at him and shrugging his shoulders. His smile was warm and inviting. “It’s no big deal Anakin. I’m sure I can get a perfectly good umbrella once again.” 

The effect was immediate, as Anakin lost the weary expression and smiled back, handing him his now busted umbrella.

“I guess sometimes I don’t know my own strength,” Anakin said with a slight blush to his cheeks, but then he looked Obi-wan in the eye and winked.

Obi-wan’s heart gave a little flutter. 

He _fucking winked_ at him!

Obi-wan’s mouth opened to give a retort, when the red velvet curtains obscuring his view from the main attraction opened widely and before he could say anything more to Anakin, a man stepped through them. The man theatrically threw his arms up in the air, spinning in a circle and pointing at Obi-wan. It didn’t take a genius to know who it was. Having a similar build to Obi-wan, let alone similar hair and eye color, it was obvious that this person and Obi-wan were related. 

“OBI,” yelled the man before continuing. 

“I knew it was you! I could hear you dulcet tones from the back of my club,” he gave a booming laugh the minute the words were out of his mouth, flashing his white teeth and smiling his handsome smile, which Obi-wan knew he also possessed, but didn’t show as often as his older brother. 

Come to think of it, he hadn’t shown that smile to anyone in awhile except to Anakin only a few moments ago… 

Obi-wan stuffed his hands into his raincoat and stared down the man who was still smiling and pointing his finger in Obi-wan’s direction, as though waiting for him to say something.

“Hello Roman,” Obi-wan stated sadly.

Before he could stop him, Obi-wan was wrapped up in his brother’s arms and given a solid hug. 

“It’s good to see you baby brother,” Roman whispered in his ear before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Obi-wan winced at the gesture, knowing it was more for show than anything else. 

Roman grabbed Obi-wan by placing both of his hands onto his face, smiling as widely as he could. Obi-wan couldn’t help but notice the somewhat manic gleam that seeped into Roman’s eyes as he took in Obi-wan’s appearance. 

“It has certainly been awhile Obi-wan, but I’m glad you came. Come, let me show you to my room,” and with a strength Obi-wan wasn’t sure he had, Roman wrapped one arm around his shoulders and tugged him towards the red velvet curtains. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan Kenobi has worked hard making sure he has his own life cut out for himself and that nobody knows about his past. But one fateful evening, with a small push from his longtime friend Qui-gon, Obi-wan finds himself asking about a favour from a man who he never wanted to see again, as well as meeting someone who could be the love of his life.
> 
> One small moment can lead to many new and exciting changes for Obi-wan and those around him. Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left a comment or kuddos. I am so happy people are enjoying my story! I truly wasn't sure how it was going to go, but I am looking forward to continuing on. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Two

Roman watched with narrowed eyes as the solid wooden doors of his club closed behind Obi-wan. As soon as the doors closed with a resounding snap, Roman let out a frustrated growl and grabbing his auburn hair with both hands, he ran them through frustratedly. Turning around, Roman slammed his hands on the front counter that Anakin was still sitting behind when he had taken Obi-wan into the club.

Anakin didn’t even flinch as Roman slammed his hands down again and screamed, as though he was used to these sudden outbursts of emotion.

“FUCK! That man is the most irritating, infuriating, pompous know-it-all I have the _pleasure_ of being related to,” Roman swiped his right hand angrily across the wooden counter, which knocked off a potted plant and gold figurine which just so happened to be there. Roman didn’t exactly care at this point. All he could feel was hot red rage as he thought back to Obi-wan’s attitude throughout their entire meeting.

Obi-wan hadn’t changed. He always thought he was better than everybody else, especially Roman and it hit home once again.

As he was ruminating on their recent conversation, Roman heard the small figurine hit the ground and shatter as it made contact with the ceramic tiles below.

Roman flipped his hand dismissively at the now broken statue, “somebody will clean that up. Don’t worry about it. That thing was ghastly anyways.”

Anakin watched Roman with steely blue eyes, not saying a word. Anakin always seemed to be calculating his every move, but Roman found it endearing rather than annoying. Deciding to change focus so that he didn’t have to keep thinking about Obi-wan, Roman pointed a finger at Anakin, “that’s what I like about you baby bird, you don’t run away when there is some drama around you. You don’t flinch. That trait will serve you well in this business.”

“Or it could end up being the death of me,” Anakin deadpanned with no trace of humour.

Roman shrugged his shoulders, “don’t be so boring Anakin.”

Anakin snorted and rolled his eyes, “first of all don’t call me baby bird. You know I hate it, and second of all somebody needs to be a little bit boring around here.”

Roman tilted his head back and laughed loudly, “Ha! I don’t think anybody can be more boring than my little baby brother and after being forced into a conversation with that little fucker for more than a half hour, I can assure you boring isn’t better. He still thinks he’s better than everybody else, even after all these years,” as Roman said the last word he ground his foot into the closest piece of the now broken figurine, grinding it into a fine powder with the heel of his black shoe.

“I take it negotiations didn’t go well,” Anakin smirked slightly, while turning around and grabbing a broom and bucket form the closet behind him. Coming around to the front of the counter, Anakin began to sweep up the remnants of Roman’s emotional outburst, cocking his head to the side as he did so, ensuring Roman knew he was still listening.

Feeling suddenly exhausted, Roman stepped to the side to allow Anakin to clean up his mess. It wasn’t that he thought Anakin _should_ clean things up for him, it was just nice to know somebody cared enough to clean up some of his daily messes, and there were always messes to be cleaned up in Roman’s world.

But that truly wasn’t why Roman kept him around.

Oh, make no mistake…

Roman was well aware of the whispers happening amongst those in his inner circle and what they were saying behind his back. Saying that he was keeping Anakin around solely as some sort of pleasure toy to be used at his every aching whim. That Anakin was sleeping with Roman and just waiting for the right moment to slit his throat and take all of his money. That Roman was a lonely old fool who somehow bought Anakin and would use him until he got tired of him. The list went on and on.

Roman always found these types of comments to be somewhat hilarious because they were so far from the truth, they were insane! But he knew not to blow it off around Anakin. For Anakin did not take kindly to such statements. In fact, he had become furious one evening when Roman had told him about what some people were talking about, when Anakin had noticed he was getting some unwanted attention from a few of Roman’s patrons. Roman would have been offended by Anakin’s immediate negative reaction if it had been anyone else (he _was_ an attractive man thank you very much), but he didn’t feel offended at all because he knew why Anakin would take such lewd comments to heart.

Anakin had a troubled past to say the least. Having been brought up in poverty, working for every single thing he owned, only to have his mother killed right in front of him as a young teenager, Roman knew that Anakin had continued to climb and scrape by for years. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that Roman found him, and by then Anakin had been in his late 20’s, having spent the majority of his teenage years and young adulthood just trying to survive. That fateful evening, Anakin was about to be involved in a drug deal gone bad, and if it hadn’t been for Roman’s intervention, let alone Anakin’s quick thinking when the police showed up, Roman wasn’t sure what would have happened to them. 

The very next day Roman had found Anakin in a rundown, rat infested apartment building, with him packing his bags as though he was getting ready to take off again, when he had offered him a job at his club. By doing so, not only had Roman offered him security and protection, but also money to send Anakin to the local College so that he could begin to take some courses and see where he wanted to go in life. In return, Anakin worked at his club as a part-time job and without needing to say so, he offered Anakin friendship and a shoulder to cry on if he needed to.

Something that both men were rarely able to find in the harsh world they lived in…

If anybody understood what it was like to have to crawl their way up from nothing, it was Roman. But unlike him, Roman was glad he could be the person who gave Anakin the opportunity to get ahead of things and do something for himself before it was too late… 

That wasn’t to say that Anakin had complete changed his ways. Anakin still had a somewhat dark side to him and from time to time he would get itchy about living such a clean life, and would ask Roman if he could accompany him on a job, or be a part of certain negotiations to see how things were done. It was times like these that Roman felt some perverse joy in having Anakin by his side, but he was always amazed at the charm Anakin possessed and how people seemed drawn to him.

It was this charm that made Roman take a moment and look at Anakin with a new idea burning at the back of his skull. Before he could stop himself, Roman said “I think you need to work with my brother,” and waited to see what Anakin’s reaction would be. 

Anakin stopped sweeping and brought his head up sharply to look at Roman with suspicion.

“Why would you want me to do something like that? You just finished saying he was the most annoying, boring…” Roman cut him off by flapping his hands around his head.

“ _Shhhhhh_. Yes. Jesus. I’m well aware of what I think of him. Which is why I think you need to go and do some work for him at his campaign office. He needs all the help he can get, considering how little faith he has in me. I just got him to agree on taking some money from me after much debate, and it’s going to take even more conversations to get him to do anything else, which quite frankly I don’t have the stomach for. Unlike you, he always thinks I’m up to no good,” upon saying this Roman stuffed his hands in his purple velvet jacket and began pacing around the small room. 

Anakin let out a small laugh. Bending down he began putting the broken pieces of the figurine and the now sad looking potted plant into the bucket, “gee I wonder where he would have gotten that idea from.”

Roman stopped pacing and smirked at him, “there may be some truth to that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be nice once in awhile and want to help Obi-wan.”

“Do you want to help him,” Anakin seemed to genuinely want to know. The fact that he had to ask made Roman’s chest hurt a little bit.

“Yes, I genuinely want to help the most boring man on the planet,” Roman replied honestly.

“…and this would have nothing to do with the fact that he just so happens to be running against your biggest rival Palpatine?”

Roman could feel heat rising at the back of his head at the mere mention of Palpatine’s name.

Not noticing the change in the room, Anakin continued on.

“You don’t think that your influence might have the potential to change the election itself? I can understand why Obi-wan would think that. You yourself said you could influence Obi-wan’s campaign. Not only the campaign, but your influence could affect this entire town too, just like Palpatine!”

Anakin seemed to have given this a lot of thought as he walked past Roman to dump what was in his bucket into the bins outside. But before he could go too far, Roman grabbed onto Anakin’s shoulder and spun him around so fast Anakin lost his grip on the bucket and it dropped to the ground with a loud crash. Anakin spluttered a protest but sucked in whatever he was about to say in retaliation when he saw the murderous look Roman was giving him.

“Don’t you EVER assume that I would influence this town like Palpatine. He’s corrupted and advantageous on a level I will never want to aspire to. He hides his true emotions behind a cloak of kindness, whereas people see me, and they know what they get. He will use and abuse anyone who crosses his path. Do you understand me Anakin?”

Anakin reached up and yanked Roman’s hand off of his shoulder, “yes fine, I understand. You don’t have to be so bloody dramatic,” and with that he picked up the bucket again and marched out of the club to dispose of his trash. The moment he left, Roman let out a deep breath. He didn’t mean to be so angry towards Anakin, and he didn’t mean to be so direct, but Palpatine made his blood boil. Roman knew EXACTLY what kind of person Palpatine was and the simple fact that everybody adored him and thought him to be a dear friend was beyond despicable. If Roman had his way, his baby brother would win this election with his money and would force open the Pandora’s box of secrets that Roman just KNEW Palpatine had.

The simple fact that Palpatine had set his sights on Anakin Skywalker a few months ago didn’t help. If he thought he was going to lay one hand on Anakin, Roman knew he was sorely mistaken.

Coming back into the club, Anakin ignored Roman and instead went to the small closet and put away the broom and bucket. Turning around, he jumped onto the stool that seemed to be his favorite perch when working at _Black Mask_ and took out the philosophy book he had been reading when Obi-wan first came in. Somewhat chastised by his behaviour, Roman skipped over to where Anakin was now sitting, pretending to be fully engrossed in his novel, silently telling Roman that their conversation was over.

“Don’t be mad baby bird…”

“Don’t call me baby bird,” Anakin mumbled. Roman ignored him.

“…you know I only have your best interests at heart. There are some things you don’t want to know about the world I live in and Palpatine is one of them. Promise me you will be careful around him.”

At this Anakin looked up from his novel and scowled at Roman.

“What makes you think I can’t handle myself? I’ve only been doing so for most of my life.”

Feeling somewhat protective, Roman took the book Anakin still held and placed it gently onto the counter. Making sure Anakin’s expressive blue eyes were looking to his he smiled genuinely.

“I know you have Anakin, which is why you don’t need to be doing so with someone as corrupt as Palpatine. He’s dangerous, which is why I want to see him beaten by my brother. If you went to Obi-wan’s campaign offices and asked to help him, I know he would say yes. Besides…” Roman stopped talking until he was sure he had Anakin’s full attention. Anakin raised an eyebrow waiting for him to continue. Roman took a deep breath and then smiled slyly at him.

“…I see the way you look at him whenever he’s nearby. I see the way you watch him whenever you see him around town or when he comes into the club, which isn’t often but still…”

Anakin’s eyes grew comically big as Roman finished his sentence. Anakin opened and closed his mouth as though he was thinking of something to say to contradict what Roman just said, but after a few seconds he was unable to come up with a good enough response. Instead, he blushed furiously and looked down at the counter as though he was too embarrassed to look directly at Roman. 

“How…how did you…oh God…” Anakin covered his face with his hands. Roman barreled on as though he wasn’t noticing Anakin’s embarrassment. 

“The thing I don’t understand is why you don’t just fuck me like everyone thinks we’re doing already, especially since Obi-wan and I look so much alike…” Roman smirked, knowing this would get a rise out of him. 

Sure enough, Anakin looked up, cheeks bright pink and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be disgusting Roman. That’s ridiculous. Besides, Obi-wan is way more attractive than you are.”

At this, Roman spluttered and placed a hand on his heart dramatically.

“OBI-WAN! You think Obi-wan is more attractive? Sweet holy fuck. You really are in love!” 

If possible, Anakin blushed even more and turning his eyes away from Roman he stared at the wall as a small private smile etched itself onto his mouth. As though he was thinking of all the ways Obi-wan was attractive in his eyes. 

Letting out a small sign, Anakin took a deep breath.

“I don’t know how you became so observant, but we really need to get you a new hobby besides watching over me all the time,” Anakin placed both hands on his hips, staring back at Roman with a challenge in his eyes.

“We should get you a cat.”

Roman scoffed, “I hate animals. I like crossbows though. We should get a crossbow!”

Anakin just shook his head silently, a small smile appearing on his handsome face. 

“We won’t be getting you any sort of medieval weapons Roman, we both know that would just end badly. But as a compromise I will go down to Obi-wan’s campaign office tomorrow and ask if I can help him. I think it would be good for this town if Obi-wan did win, and I’m not just saying that because…well, I just think it would be good for everyone.”

At this Roman nodded his head in affirmation, for he too in his heart of hearts had to be honest with himself and say that Obi-wan would be the best person to win the next election and run the city of Coruscant. If nothing else, his boring personality would mean he would have plenty of spare time to work and read…he would never be tempted by anything…Anakin was certainly barking up the wrong tree. 

“I will have Victor drive you to Obi-wan’s headquarters tomorrow then. Just tell him the time before you leave tonight,” and with that Roman clapped hands excitedly. This was going to be perfect!

Going towards the red velvet curtains and moving back inside the main room, Roman stopped short. Taking one more look at Anakin who was still on his stool, book back in hand, he looked somewhat calmer than before. Knowing that he could distract Anakin and keep him busy with Obi-wan’s campaign was reason enough for him to breathe easier and enjoy the rest of his evening as well. 

“This will be the start of something amazing Anakin! And if you play your cards right baby bird you may just find yourself with the man you keep mentally undressing!”

Before Roman could duck behind the red velvet curtains for good, he heard a _swwwfffttt_ sound as Anakin’s novel flew at his head, barely missing him, causing him to laugh maniacally as he left Anakin alone for the rest of the evening.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin decides to silence the voices in his head once and for all and finds his way to Obi-wan's campaign office, thinking about his past, his future and the man he is secretly falling in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments. It truly does make me happy and it keeps me going as I write more and more of this story. Once again, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter Three

Victor didn’t end up driving Anakin to Obi-wan’s campaign headquarters. He was too busy settling some other business that Roman had him taking care of, so Anakin was left finding his own way to Obi-wan. In all honesty, Anakin was more than happy with this change of plans for this gave him the chance to walk rather than take a car, thereby giving him more time to try and organize his thoughts, let alone his emotions before he came face to face with the man he couldn’t stop thinking about. 

Grabbing a latte from the local coffee bar that he and Padme liked to go to sometimes before heading to their classes, Anakin took his time getting to the downtown core by walking the long way around, through the local park which situated itself in the middle of Coruscant. It wasn’t raining out today, and the weather seemed to be changing for the better, so it would be a nice way to spend his time. Anakin always enjoyed the warmer weather, preferring sunshine to cloudy days, so if nothing else, the sunshine would help guide him through some of the thoughts that had been making him feel so restless lately.

Anakin took a sip of his drink as he crossed the street into the park ahead. There was a slight breeze that tickled the ends of his hair as he walked, and his carrier bag gently bumped his hip as he kept a steady pace. Slowly but surely, Anakin found some of the tension that he had been carrying this past month start ebbing away. If Anakin was going to be honest with himself, he knew that he was beginning to feel edgy because he was feeling pressure from those who were important to him. If it wasn’t Roman telling him to stay away from Palpatine as though he were some child, it was his friend Padme suggesting to him that he should try other college courses in the engineering department, rather than just philosophy, as though what he was studying wasn’t hard enough. He knew both Roman and Padme were just looking out for him, but it was still irritating.

_“I just want to make sure you’re explore all of your options Ani,”_ Padme had said the last time they had been studying together. Anakin could still see the earnest, yet serious look she had given him while staring him down across their table, which had been stacked with books at the time. Anakin couldn’t help but take what Padme said to heart because she was always looking out for him and wouldn’t give him ill advice if she didn’t think it was important. The only thing that was getting in the way of Anakin listening to her was that he just wasn’t in the mood to hear it. He didn’t want to make a change right at this moment in time, having had his fill of constant changes while growing up. He was just starting to feel like he had a daily routine that he could keep track of, and one that he actually liked to be honest. 

Why change things now?

But Anakin knew deep down it wasn’t _just_ that.

For all of his talk about not wanting change, Anakin knew he wanted to be known for more than just a pretty face, and lately that was all he seemed to be good for according to some of the clientele that came to Roman’s club. Anakin knew this kind of behaviour was to be expected begin a part of Roman’s world, but it was still annoying. He knew if he just told Roman how irritated he was, Roman would do something about it but Anakin didn’t want to do that because Roman had already stuck out his neck for him too many times to count and had changed his life around, so at the end of the day Anakin could handle them. He just was getting tired of it. 

Which brought him to the final thing that was making him anxious…

_Obi-wan_.

It wasn’t difficult to understand why he had started falling for Obi-wan. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out. Obi-wan was so many things Anakin wasn’t and vice versa. But Anakin wanted to keep his feelings about Obi-wan close to his chest because deep down it scared him. What he was feeling was new and exciting in many ways, but he had never been in a serious relationship before, so he didn’t know how to go about navigating it. He didn’t know how to approach Obi-wan, or if he was misreading the cues that he was sure Obi-wan sent his way from time to time. Not that he got much of an opportunity to talk with Obi-wan one on one anyways, especially with Roman nearby. Therefore, he certainly didn’t need people figuring out his infatuation with his bosses’ younger brother before he did. It was bad enough that Roman had figured it out on his own the other day. Not that Anakin had done anything to convince him otherwise. 

Stopping at the closest park bench, Anakin looked out at the small lake across from him. Stuffing his hands into his pant pockets, he sighed quietly. Thinking back to last night, Anakin knew that deep down Roman just liked to tease him, but it was still a shock that Roman had correctly assumed he liked Obi-wan. Anakin let out a sigh as he took one last sip of his latte and threw the cup somewhat forcibly into the garbage can beside him. Anakin rubbed a hand down his face in frustration, and suddenly his stomach felt like somebody had punched him, making him feel nauseous. Good grief. What was he doing? Walking around the park bench, he sat down heavily and placed his elbows on his long legs. Clasping his hands together, he couldn’t help but start thinking that he was the biggest idiot on the planet. 

Here he was all dressed up as though he was going for a job interview, with absouletly not guarantee that he would be given anything, let alone spoken to. Even worse, Obi-wan could think of him as nothing more than his older brother’s lackey, who was only there to spy on him. Maybe Obi-wan knew about his inner turmoil and didn’t even want a young man like him to just show up unexpectedly, let alone date him one day. Even though Obi-wan never treated him as just another pretty face, would he actually want to see Anakin outside of the club? Would Obi-wan understand why he wanted to work with him? Would Obi-wan want him around at all? Then again, when did anyone keep Anakin around? Why would someone as distinguished and sophisticated as Obi-wan want anything to do with a twenty-seven-year-old college wannabe kid who was still trying to figure things out?

Shaking his head, Anakin stopped that train of thought. That wasn’t fair of him to project like that towards Obi-wan. It wasn’t even fair to Roman, who seemed keen on getting Anakin in front of his brother. Anakin wasn’t stupid, he knew there was always an ulterior motive when it came to Roman and his family, but what that was Anakin wasn’t too sure yet. All he knew was that Obi-wan had accepted Roman’s offer to give him some money and that Roman wanted Anakin to help his brother win the election so that he could get a seat in the Senate and run Coruscant properly. If Roman was planning something darker than simply having Anakin’s best interests at heart, Anakin would deal with that when the time came. In the meantime, he couldn’t think of a better person to hang out with. There was no point in denying it anymore, he was infatuated with Obi-wan and he knew that the more time he got to spend with Obi-wan the more he would fall for him. He could only hope that Obi-wan would share his sentiments one day and they could find their way into a relationship.

For that was all Anakin wanted at the end of the day. A home. A partner to share his life with. Someone to love and in return love him despite all of his jagged edges, and as far as Anakin could tell, this person could be Obi-wan. There was just something about him that told Anakin he was special.

Running a hand through his hair, tangling his fingers gently into his curls, Anakin took a deep breath in and a deep breath out, trying to control his negative thoughts. Slowly letting his mind settle, Anakin took in another slow intake of air and as he exhaled, he thought about Obi-wan and the kindness behind those icy grey blue eyes. If Anakin tried hard enough, he could believe that Obi-wan liked Anakin just because he liked him for who he was. He seemed to like to talk to him whenever he saw him, and he always asked how Anakin was doing. Obi-wan didn’t treat him like a secret, or something to be quiet about, just like his brother. But where Roman could be standoffish and selfish, Obi-wan was kind and humble, which pleased Anakin to no end. On top of that, Obi-wan seemed to know what he wanted. People respected his opinion, which was why he was in the lead whenever they ran a poll and asked people who they were going to vote for as the next Senator of Coruscant. Then there was the simple fact that Obi-wan was ridiculously handsome, yet didn’t seem to know it, whereas his brother used his good looks to his advantage whenever he could.

Feeling somewhat better about himself and his decision to go see Obi-wan, Anakin leaned back on the bench and took one final deep breath. One thing was for sure, if couldn’t spend the rest of his day sitting here brooding about his past, his future, or the man who may or may not share his affections one day. He needed to get up and head straight towards the person who he couldn’t stop thinking about. He needed to see this through and know for sure if anything… _anything_ …could come out of this. 

With a determined set to his jaw, Anakin got up from the park bench. Squaring his shoulders, he re-adjusted his carrier bag strap, and began walking through the park once more.

Before Anakin knew it, he found himself in front of Obi-wan’s campaign office. It was a small grey building, with wide windows facing out onto the busy sidewalk and street in front. Nobody would know what these offices were being used for, if it weren’t for the campaign photos of Obi-wan that were pasted onto the windows staring back at him. It was bad enough Anakin couldn’t stop thinking about Obi-wan on his own, but now he had to face the gorgeous campaign photos right in front of him. 

Before he could talk himself out of it once again, Anakin pushed himself forward and opened up the small metal door leading him into the building. As soon as he entered, Anakin knew this place was exactly where he needed to be. Everywhere people were moving. Both men and women were milling about, some were talking on their phones, while others were clicking away on their computers, or talking loudly over top of one another. Everyone seemed to have something particularly important to do, but more than anything, Anakin was amazed at how happy everyone seemed to be. It was as though everyone was genuinely excited to be there. As though they were fighting for something important.

And there…right in the thick of it all…was Obi-wan. Dressed in dark blue jeans, and what looked like the softest deep blue cashmere sweater Anakin had ever seen, Obi-wan looked calm and collected. However, it was clear that he was a little bit apprehensive by the way he was tapping his brown leather shoe against the floor while listening to those around him.

Before Anakin could stop himself, he felt a warm smile begin to appear on his face and his cheeks start to heat up. He could observe Obi-wan like this for a long time, as the man was clearly in his element. As Anakin watched, Obi-wan leaned over the desk he was currently working at, pointing to what looked like a map. He was obviously saying something important to the three other people who were around him because everyone was nodding along and would only speak when Obi-wan paused to think or listen to what one of them had to say. Anakin watched as Obi-wan nodded towards something a tall, blonde woman was saying, while rubbing his beard thoughtfully. He was so lost in the conversation, that he hadn’t even noticed that Anakin had walked in.

But before Anakin could make himself known a clipped voice to his left said, “can I help you with something?”

Startled, Anakin looked over and saw a serious looking man frowning at him. Anakin immediately felt unsure of himself and began to fiddle with the buckle of his carrier bag.

“I…uhhh…I’m here to speak to Obi-wan,” Anakin stumbled.

_Smooth Skywalker_ …

The frowning man scoffed, “Mr. Kenobi is a busy man. I’m sure whatever you wish to speak to him about can be given to me and I’ll make sure to pass it along.”

Judging from the frowning man’s tone, Anakin was fairly certain he didn’t give two shits about what his message was going to be. 

Clearing his throat, Anakin tried again. “I’m here because I was asked to come by…and…”

“You were asked to come by? From whom? If you’re from the College rest assured Mr. Kenobi has already given his comments regarding tuition and the upcoming renovation. He doesn’t need another person coming in giving him their sob story,” at this the man got up from his chair and took Anakin by the arm, turning him towards the door as though getting ready to usher him out.

“Hey! Wait a minute,” Anakin pushed the hand on his arm off and was about to get in his face and tell him what he really thought when he was interrupted by a gentle, “well hello there!” 

Both Anakin and the frowning man turned towards Obi-wan, who was standing now only a couple of feet away from them, hands on his hips and looking amused at the two of them. Anakin jerked his arm away from the frowning man (and that would be what Anakin would call him from now on) and sneered at him because all of a sudden he wanted to be challenged. With everything that he had gone through to get here today, he was ready for a fight. But instead, the man just raised an eyebrow at him and turned towards Obi-wan.

“This young man just came in a couple of minutes ago and seems to have a message for you.”

From the tone of his voice, it was clear he still thought Anakin was up to no good.

“A message you say? Well, I’m sure Mr. Skywalker can speak for himself,” Obi-wan laughed gently and stepped forward, extending his arm towards Anakin. Before Anakin could react properly, Obi-wan wrapped his arm around his shoulders, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Anakin felt his legs turn to jelly. 

“Thank you Mace,” Obi-wan said over his shoulder as he led Anakin towards the desk he had been working at when Anakin had first walked in.

Tilting his head slightly towards Anakin he whispered, “don’t worry about Mace Windu. He means well, but he’s turned into a bit of a watchdog of sorts if I’m being honest. He doesn’t want me or my staff to deal with more than we have to at the moment.” Obi-wan let go of Anakin as soon as he came to his desk and Anakin immediately missed his warmth.

“Cody, Rex, Satine, do you think you could give us a moment,” Obi-wan directed his question towards the three people who were still waiting patiently for Obi-wan to continue with their conversation. To Anakin’s surprise all three people smiled warmly at Obi-wan and said “of course.” The tall, blonde woman who Anakin had seen when he first entered the building even waved at him as she walked past. 

Not being used to such behaviour all the time, Anakin could do nothing but smile dumbly back and sit in a chair that was closest to him. It certainly wasn’t like this back at Roman’s club. As though knowing what Anakin was thinking about, Obi-wan sat on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest, starring down at Anakin while looking pleased that he was there. 

“Now Anakin, what do I owe the pleasure,” he said softly.

Having a clear view of Obi-wan’s jean clad thighs, it took a few seconds for Anakin to remember why he was there himself.

As with Roman, Anakin decided to be honest with Obi-wan and told him everything. Besides, once he got talking, he couldn’t exactly stop himself. He wanted to impress Obi-wan, but he also wanted to prove himself. He wasn’t just here because Roman asked him to be. The atmosphere was electric, the people were nice, and everyone seemed to be walking around with a purpose. Of course, the fact that Anakin wanted to be near Obi-wan was something he wasn’t going to share with anybody. Even if nothing came of his feelings, it would be nice to spend some time with the auburn haired man.

Anakin watched as Obi-wan’s eyes continued to observe him as he spoke. Taking one hand up to stroke his beard, Anakin knew he was thinking about something but was giving nothing away with his facial expressions. Finally, Anakin finished his story and Obi-wan rested both hands on the desk underneath him and grew serious for a moment.

“I appreciate you coming here today Anakin. But I have to ask, are you truly here because you want to be? I need to make sure you are walking in here because you want to be here, not because my brother demanded it.”

Anakin was taken aback by how pensive Obi-wan sounded. If it had been anybody else, Anakin would have felt anger towards them by daring to suggest that he was doing anything that he didn’t want to do. But because it was Obi-wan, Anakin knew it came from a place of complete sincerity. Obi-wan wanted to make sure Anakin was doing what he wanted and wasn’t being forced.

Anakin could feel a lump start to form in his throat. Not too many people did that for him. Except maybe Roman, which was ironic considering that was who Obi-wan was accusing at the moment. 

Clearing his throat, Anakin looked at Obi-wan earnestly. “I’m here because I want to be. I want to help you and I want to be a part of this campaign. I also want to get to know you better if I’m being honest.”

_There_. Anakin said _it_. Might as well get the ball rolling so to speak… 

Anakin could feel the palms of his hands getting sweaty as he waited for Obi-wan’s response. To his surprise, Obi-wan looked towards the floor and blushed slightly, as though he was embarrassed by Anakin’s forwardness. 

“I am glad to hear that Anakin. I would love to have you here,” Obi-wan was smiling gently at Anakin as he looked up.

Anakin couldn’t believe his luck. With a new found sense of confidence, Anakin stood up from the chair he was sitting in and extended his hand to Obi-wan, who seemed a bit confused until he saw that Anakin was giving him his hand to shake. Obi-wan placed his hand into Anakin’s, and Anakin took a moment to quietly register just how soft Obi-wan’s skin was, but how firm his hand cradled Anakin’s in his own.

Giving Obi-wan’s hand a firm shake, Anakin couldn’t help but say, “then let’s get started soon-to-be Senator Kenobi.”

And he meant it. 


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to go downhill for Obi-wan, but things are starting to look up for Roman. Anakin and Qui-gon just seem to be going along for the ride. What else can they do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you for the lovely comments and kuddos. They certainly keep me going! I should have mentioned that this story has a bit of a slow-build for each relationship, but it will be worth it in the end.
> 
> Enjoy.

Chapter 4

Roman roared into the driveway of Obi-wan and Qui-gon’s cottage home, tires squealing as he slammed on the breaks and quickly got out of his red convertible. Flinging his car door shut behind him, Roman bent down to take a look at himself in his side mirror. Adjusting his pink sunglasses, Roman ran a hand through his hair to put it back into place, and tugged on the black suit jacket he was wearing, making sure it was adjusted properly after a long drive to his brother’s house. Taking one last look at himself in the mirror, ensuring he was looking his best, Roman stood to his full height and peered around him.

The only reason Roman was here in the first place was because Anakin needed to be picked up. Otherwise, he would never have ventured out this far. But Victor had told Roman earlier that afternoon that Anakin had decided to walk to Obi-wan’s campaign office that morning and apparently, he was still there. After a flurry of texts, Anakin had suggested Roman pick him up from Obi-wan’s home since Obi-wan had been kind enough to offer to drive him home after a long day at the office, and could easily meet him there. 

Roman had kindly told Anakin he could put that idea where the sun didn’t shine, but Anakin had silenced him by reminding him this was his idea in the first place, and therefore could do Anakin a favour by saving Obi-wan a longer drive back through the city if he dropped Anakin off at his apartment. 

Looking up, Roman decided to let that train of thought go and finally took in his surroundings. To say he had rarely been here would be an understatement, for not only had he only driven out here once, he had never been invited. All Roman knew was that his brother lived a quiet life with his good friend Qui-gon (who Roman may or may not have looked into just to see what the man was about), and as far as he could tell Obi-wan’s friend was just as boring as his brother. Qui-gon was an upstanding citizen who taught economics at the University and had dabbled in philosophy and politics himself when he was younger. There had been nothing on his record, not even a speeding ticket.

This man and his brother were the perfect match as far as Roman was concerned. Like two old unmarried people living outside of town, bidding their time with chess and sherry.

Again…boring…

Roman had never seen a picture of Qui-gon because he’d had no reason to. The less he knew about his brother’s life and those who orbited around him, the better. If Obi-wan was living with somebody else besides Qui-gon, he would never know. As Roman breathed in the country air and took in the front of his brother’s cottage home, he had to admit this was a nice place. The cottage itself had a certain flair. Not the kind of flair Roman was used to, far from it, but it was quaint to say the least.

Adjusting his suit jacket one more time, Roman jumped the three steps leading up to their front door and rang the doorbell before he could think about whether or not anyone would be home to take his call. If nothing else, Roman just hoped he wouldn’t have to wait outside in his car for the next half hour in case Obi-wan and Anakin weren’t on the road yet. Roman listened for any movement behind the front door and was happy to hear some footsteps coming his way. Leaning against the doorframe, Roman casually waited as the footsteps got closer.

All at once, almost without warning, Roman felt the stirrings of anxiety begin to coil in his stomach. If Qui-gon was the one home, what was to say he would even let Roman in? Maybe Qui-gon didn’t even know who Roman was! Or better yet, maybe he did know who Roman was and would not want to let him in based on what Obi-wan had told him.

Before he could stop himself, Roman dropped the casual attitude he had since driving up to the cottage and instead scowled at the door. Stuffing his hands into his black pants, Roman snorted to himself as his entire demeanor changed because just when he thought for one quick moment that his relationship with his brother was somewhat normal, his brain always reminded him that it was far from it.

Roman narrowed his eyes as he heard the door begin to open, only to reveal the person who may or may not let him in. If this person didn’t let him in, he would be sure to tell him his thoughts on the matter.

But the moment the man behind the door revealed himself, Roman felt the tension begin to release in his stomach and instead of scowling, he could feel his eyebrows lift in gentle surprise, for the man in front of him was simply _stunning_. 

Immediately, Roman let go of all his anxieties as a new feeling began to stir within his stomach. All of a sudden, all Roman wanted to do was get to know the man in front of him, and make sure that he saw him in a different light than whatever it was Obi-wan had said. Roman couldn’t be sure if this man were Qui-gon or somebody else he didn’t know about, but for right now that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that the man in front of him was looking his way. 

Taking one of his hands out of his pocket, Roman ran it through his hair in a nervous gesture. Without any hesitation, Roman’s eyes began to trace the man up and down, taking him in. Oblivious to what Roman was doing, the tall man smiled warmly at him, obviously waiting for Roman to introduce himself. Roman swallowed hard around a suddenly dry mouth and thick tongue.

Just then, Roman’s phone vibrated in his back pocket, startlingly him out of his trance.

“I’m looking for Anakin,” Roman continued to stare as the words stumbled out of his mouth. The chocolate brown eyes looking back at him warmed slightly as he spoke, and the edges crinkled slightly as he smiled at Roman.

“You must be Roman,” he said in a rich baritone.

“How to do know me,” Roman didn’t mean to sound accusatory, but he never liked it when someone had the upper hand and knew more about him before he had the right amount of information.

The tall man in front of him brought a large hand forward to offer a handshake.

“I apologize Roman, but I know about you. I’m Qui-gon, Obi-wan’s friend and roommate.” Qui-gon kept smiling and waiting for Roman to respond appropriately, but Roman took a few more seconds to say anything. 

“Your _Qui-gon_ ,” Roman whispered to himself, but obviously Qui-gon heard him for he chuckled slightly and then backed up to allow Roman to enter his and Obi-wan’s home.

How could this possibly be Qui-gon? If Roman had known Qui-gon looked like…well… _Qui-gon_ , he would have shown up a long time ago and been that irritating relative that never knows when to leave.

Taking a few more seconds to take in the appearance of Qui-gon, Roman saw that he was still wearing what looked like his work clothes. A pea green dress shirt was the first thing he saw, which covered what Roman could only assume were large forearms and muscles. A strong neck and chest filled in the rest of the shirt and as Roman’s eyes travelled upwards, he took in the long hair which was hanging loosely around his shoulders. Looking down, Roman noticed that Qui-gon’s pants seemed to be covering up strong thighs and long legs, which seemed to go on forever. Bare feet greeted Roman as his eyes went all the way down to the ground, and Roman couldn’t help but swallow hard. Everything about this man spoke of strength and yet, his voice was comforting. 

Roman startled slightly as Qui-gon spoke. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you Roman. I thought it was you based on Obi-wan informing me that you were coming to pick up Anakin, and then there is the obvious fact that you and Obi-wan look alike.”

Roman shook his head at Qui-gon and said with an evil laugh, “I look nothing like that idiot.”

Roman didn’t bother to hide rolling his eyes at the very suggestion that he was anything like his brother. They would always be polar opposites and there was no point in thinking otherwise. Roman didn’t bother removing his shoes as he stepped into Obi-wan and Qui-gon’s home, passing Qui-gon in the process and catching a whiff of something spicy. Before Roman could stop himself, he pictured himself turning towards Qui-gon and burrowing his nose into the side of his strong neck, while running his tongue alongside it to soak up whatever delightful aroma lay just beyond his reach.

Clearing his throat so as to give himself something to do while the imagery still played deliciously in his mind, Roman looked around the living room area where there was a small fire going in the stone fireplace. Roman smirked as he saw the chess board laying on a small table between two comfortable looking chairs.

“I see you and my brother are living up to expectations,” he pointed to the chess board.

Not taking the bait, Qui-gon simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Chess is a wonderful way to clear the mind after a hard day,” Qui-gon stated matter-of-factly as he closed the door and locked it behind him. “If you wish, I am happy to play a game with you while we wait for Obi-wan and Anakin,” Qui-gon stepped closer to Roman who subconsciously took a step back as though Qui-gon was getting too intimate all of the sudden.

“Perhaps another time. One day, when I know all of my business dealings are taken care of, I’ll be happy to play a game of boring chess,” Roman couldn’t help but feel somewhat bad about his biting words as Qui-gon gave him a calculating look. 

“I suppose playing chess at night is a far cry from what you do during the evening at _Black Mask_ ,” Qui-gon said softly as he sat in one of the comfy chairs by the fireplace and extended an arm to indicate that Roman could sit down if he wished.

“You could say that,” Roman wasn’t going to get into what he did on a nightly basis with a man he had just met and who had only heard things from Obi-wan’s perspective.

Roman slipped his sunglasses off his face and tucked them into the collar of his pink t-shirt. Sitting down, Roman let himself sink into the chair and crossed his legs, bouncing the foot that was on the ground in a steady rhythm. He was afraid that if he stopped moving for one second, he may surprise everyone by running out the door, spilling his guts to the man in front of him, or charging at Qui-gon and grabbing on to what could only be described as steady looking shoulders to smell more of that spicy scent.

“Do you mind telling me what a typical night at _Black Mask_ looks like,” Qui-gon asked quietly as he settled into his chair and leaned his head back.

Roman’s mouth fell open in shock at Qui-gon’s words. 

“You expect me to have a conversation with you after meeting me just five minutes ago?!”

Qui-gon chuckled softly, “no…not really…I was just hoping for some small talk while we wait for Obi-wan and Anakin to show up.” 

Roman’s foot was now jiggling so hard now he had to slap a hand down on top his knee to stop it from moving.

“I suppose. Do you have anything to drink around here?” If Qui-gon expected him to engage in small talk he would need some liquid courage. 

Qui-gon quickly got up from his seat, “I do believe we have some wine in the cellar. Would you care for some?”

Roman didn’t really care at this point. Any alcohol would do.

“Yeah…sure…” Roman watched with rapt attention as Qui-gon briskly walked by him and went through the swinging door, which Roman could only assume led to the kitchen and wine cellar. Roman stared at Qui-gon’s ass as he walked by, noting that this part of his body seemed to be just as firm as the rest of him.

As soon as Qui-gon was out of sight Roman jumped out of his chair and rushed towards the large bay windows that were the main focal point of the living room, so as to make sure Qui-gon didn’t see his texts, or the nervous habit he had of chewing his thumb whenever he felt something weird. Roman grabbed his phone out of his back pants pocket and looked at the text that had come through a couple of minutes ago when he had been busy soaking in Qui-gon. As expected, it was from Anakin.

_Going to be a bit later than expected. Helping Obi-wan with numbers and it’s a big job._

Before he could stop himself, Roman texted back.

_Just how big is it?_

Almost immediately, as though Anakin was waiting for him to be his usual self, he texted back _why do I always have to tell you not to be gross Roman?_

Roman giggled and leaned his hip against the couch beside him.

_Don’t be mad baby bird. But for the love of God hurry it up. I’m currently drowning in chess and small talk._

_Don’t call me baby bird._

_You love it._

_Not quite._

_Yes, you do. But seriously baby bird hurry the fuck up!_

_Whatever you say Roman. Should be no more than an hour._

Roman stomped his foot on the ground as he read Anakin’s text and began to chew his thumb nervously. An hour! What was he supposed to do for an hour? What was he supposed to talk about with Qui-gon? This was becoming almost unbearable, for Roman was convinced he was going to do something rash. It had been an exceptionally long time since someone had intrigued Roman quite like Qui-gon was doing, and the fact that Qui-gon had done so in just a short amount of time…mere minutes really…made Roman giddy, yet nervous. There was just something about Qui-gon that intrigued Roman, and he wanted to find out why. 

Before Roman could text anything back to Anakin, reminding him that he was his boss and could easily fire him if he didn’t show up within the next twenty minutes, he heard the kitchen door swing open and Qui-gon entered the living room again with a bottle of wine in one hand, and two glasses in the other.

“I thought something sweet would be a good place to start,” Qui-gon said casually as he placed everything on the table in front of the fireplace, after moving the chess board to the side. He looked over to where Roman was standing and tilted his head towards the two chairs once more, as though indicating that Roman was more than welcome to come and sit. The simple fact that Qui-gon moved the precious chess board to make room for these items that he and Roman were about to share made Roman’s heart jump unexpectedly. 

Without saying a word, Roman placed his phone back into his pants pocket and went towards the fireplace, nodding his head in thanks as he took the full wine glass Qui-gon offered him. Roman watched as Qui-gon poured himself a full glass as well, and took a small sip, his throat moving up and down as he swallowed.

Roman quickly looked away and without thinking slammed back his entire glass of wine.

This was going to be the longest hour of his life. 

~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later, Obi-wan found himself driving along the dark highway towards his home, while Anakin sat in the passenger seat and starred out of his side window. It was peaceful and quiet in the car, with only their voices as company, but both Obi-wan and Anakin sat in comfortable silence as they listened to their own thoughts.

Obi-wan couldn’t believe how wonderful Anakin had been today. In only a short span of twelve hours since Anakin arrived to when Obi-wan offered to drive him home, Anakin had more than proven his worth as a trusted employee of his campaign. Even Satine, who was always a somewhat difficult person to express emotion with (which was one of the reasons Obi-wan liked her), made a comment to Obi-wan as she was leaving about how Anakin had some good ideas regarding numbers and areas to campaign heavier in, and that Obi-wan should try listening to him more if he was going to stay.

Obi-wan himself had been thinking the same thing, but it was nice to hear it from someone else. 

The simple fact that Satine wanted Anakin to stay made Obi-wan smile quietly to himself. He was pleased that others felt about Anakin the way he did.

Obi-wan would be kidding himself if he said he didn’t think Anakin would work well with him and his team, but even more important than that was the simple fact that after working with Anakin for only a few hours, he could see why Roman liked him. He was smart and he had an inert ability to figure out a problem before anybody else. He liked to joke around, which was something Obi-wan himself could never seem to do properly.

_Too serious_ Obi-wan had always been told, and perhaps people were right. But Anakin didn’t seem to have that problem. On top of that, Obi-wan had seen the way he had handled himself when Mace had decided that Anakin wasn’t worth his time and tried to escort him out of the building. The way Anakin had held his own, fire in his eyes, and the way his cheeks flushed slightly, made Obi-wan grip his steering wheel a little bit tighter.

Maybe Anakin would prove to be a good influence on him just like he had been for Roman. From the little he had gotten out of Roman the other day regarding his employees, Obi-wan knew that Anakin had been a real asset to Roman and that Anakin had already had to deal with so many problems while growing up, and that he was just now starting to settle into a life that would hopefully lead to something good. When Obi-wan had delicately asked Roman just what Anakin did for him, the flash of anger Roman had shown had been unexpected and almost made Obi-wan feel guilty for suggesting anything.

But it was nice to know his brother wasn’t a complete piece of shit. Especially in regards to Anakin, for there was something about him that made Obi-wan want to put his arms around him and protect him from the world. As though sensing his thoughts, Anakin shifted in his seat and turned his head towards Obi-wan, smiling softly at him as Obi-wan took a final turn onto a gravel road.

“Today was a lot of fun,” Anakin said after a few moments of silence as he sat up straighter in his seat and turned his eyes so that he was no longer staring at Obi-wan, but out the front windshield.

Obi-wan nodded his head in silence and couldn’t say anything more. His thoughts were trying to work themselves out as he tried to figure out how to ask Anakin to stay and work for him for the rest of his campaign.

“I thought so too Anakin. I spoke to others at the office and they liked you too.”

The effect of his words was immediate, for Anakin’s eyes lit up as though liquid sunshine was coming through the night sky. 

“You really think so,” Anakin asked.

Obi-wan quickly looked towards him before placing his eyes back on the road. It was easy to see from Anakin’s face that he wasn’t asking that question because he wanted to hear what others had to say about him. Anakin seemed to really need the confirmation that others thought he was good.

That he was needed.

Obi-wan swallowed before answering, for if anyone knew what it felt like to be needed because of past failed attempts, it was him. Just one more reason Obi-wan thought for him to protect Anakin. 

“Indeed. Everyone loved your ideas, myself included.”

Anakin looked down where his hands were placed together in his lap and smiled softly to himself, “that’s good.”

Obi-wan had to swallow again to clear his throat. 

“We…I know I…that is, we would all love it if you continued to work with us for the entirety of the campaign. I know I would love to have you around.” 

Anakin’s head turned so quickly, Obi-wan was afraid of whiplash. Once again, he could see the bright smile appearing on Anakin’s face and his eyes sparkled.

“That would be wonderful Obi-wan!”

‘Good, it’s settled then.”

Anakin raised a hand and placed it on Obi-wan’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze and just like before Obi-wan had to grip the steering wheel even harder so that he didn’t veer off the road and into the trees. 

“Thank you Obi-wan. This has truly been a dream of mine.”

“Think nothing of it,” Obi-wan shot him a quick smile before turning into his driveway and noticing the red convertible that was parked in his spot.

As though somebody had popped a balloon with a pin, the comfortable atmosphere that had been inside of the car left in a gigantic rush. Obi-wan could feel heat rising on the back of his neck and he couldn’t help the quiet _“shit”_ that left his mouth as he parked his car beside his brother’s red monstrosity. Leave it to Roman to pick a car that was so expensive it looked ridiculous, and parked in the driveway of his and Qui-gon’s cottage it looked even more out of place than usual.

“What is Roman even doing here,” Obi-wan questioned himself as he took off his seatbelt. He heard Anakin do the same before he replied.

“I asked Roman to pick me up here so that you didn’t have to drop me off at my apartment and then drive all the way out of the city,” Anakin looked somewhat bashful as he glanced in Obi-wan’s direction and saw the disapproval written on his face.

“Sorry…I…I didn’t think it would be that big of an issue. Roman didn’t seem to mind.”

Obi-wan lifted an eyebrow in response. He had an awfully hard time believing that for one second.

Anakin continued to look embarrassed as he mumbled under his breath, “I’m sure he’s fine.”

Obi-wan got out of his car without another word, as he waited for Anakin to join him on the driveway. It wasn’t the right time to tell Anakin all the reasons why it wasn’t good for Roman to be in his home. The simple fact that he had seen his brother already this week and was now working alongside Anakin day in and day out was enough contact with Roman as far as he was concerned. Now that he was about to walk through his front door and see Roman in his home didn’t make him feel any better. Besides, who knew what Qui-gon was going to say.

Oh GOD. Qui-gon!

He forgot up until now that Qui-gon had told him he was going to be home early this evening grading papers and spending some time reading before Obi-wan got in. If this was the case, then that meant that Qui-gon had had to endure Roman for hours. 

Obi-wan took a calming breath as Anakin joined him on the driveway, one hand stuffed in his coat pocket, while he ran the other adjusted the strap of his carrier bag. Obi-wan noticed he still looked nervous, so he decided to take pity on him.

“It’s not your fault Anakin. I’m sure everything is fine.”

Obi-wan really wanted to believe that.

Going up the steps and opening the front door, Obi-wan let himself in with Anakin closely behind. Upon entering Obi-wan was hit with a warmth that he always associated with his home. The lights were on, but not all of them, meaning things were cast in a soft light, and the glow coming from the fireplace made it even homier. Looking towards the fireplace, Obi-wan noticed that his and Qui-gon’s two chairs were empty but also saw that two empty wine bottles sat on the table in between them. Upon closer inspection he saw that their chess board had been moved over to make room for said bottles of wine. Before Obi-wan could process anything further he heard Anakin laugh softly behind him.

Obi-wan turned towards Anakin so that he could ask him what was happening when he heard Qui-gon’s laughter from the opposite side of the room. Turning his head towards the couch that sat against the bay windows of their cottage, Obi-wan’s eyes widened as he saw his friend and his brother sitting together on the couch, wine glasses in hand.

“Hello Obi! Hello Anakin,” greeted Qui-gon with his usual warm smile and raised his wine glass in the air as greeting. Obi-wan could tell even from the front door that Qui-gon’s cheeks were flushed from too much wine. He had a calmness about him at the best of times, but drinking alcohol only amplified it, along with the easy way he could smile. 

“Baby Bird!”

Obi-wan was still processing Qui-gon’s behaviour as he heard Roman’s shout. Obi-wan watched with rapt attention as his brother dramatically got up from the couch and drank what was left in his wine glass before slamming it down on the table and skipping over to where Obi-wan and Anakin stood. Before Obi-wan could say or do anything, Roman was in his personal space and reaching across him to give Anakin a friendly hug. 

Poor Anakin seemed to be in as much shock as Obi-wan, for when Roman leaned in to hug him, Anakin stood statue still, eyes getting wider and wider, only to look at Obi-wan and mouth _“what is going on?”_

As though remembering Obi-wan was only two feet away, Roman let go of Anakin, only to put one arm comfortably around his shoulders before taking his sunglasses that were primly tucked into his shirt and put them on with a flourish.

“How did things go today with Anakin, dear Obi-wan?”

Roman smiled broadly, showing all of his teeth as he glanced up at Anakin and gave him a wink. For whatever reason, that irked Obi-wan more than anything else he had just witnessed.

Obi-wan frowned but spoke honestly.

“Everything went great. Anakin is going to stay on for the remainder of my campaign. He’s proving to be a wonderful asset.”

If possible, Roman’s smile got even crazier as he looked once more at Obi-wan and smirked.

“He is, isn’t he?”

Anakin interrupted Roman quickly by saying, “seriously, how much have you had to drink?”

Roman leaned his head upwards to stare at Anakin, but he tilted it a little too far back and ended up falling forwards until Anakin caught him with one arm around his waist.

Anakin let out a small chuckle as though he was used to seeing Roman behave this way. 

“Only a couple of glasses,” Roman frowned as he righted himself and steadied his footing. 

“A couple? Try four,” came Qui-gon’s voice as he stood up. Obi-wan didn’t say anything as he watched Qui-gon effortlessly stand up and with his usual grace make his way to the small group. Obi-wan could still see the slight flush on his cheeks, but otherwise nothing else was in disarray. Qui-gon still wore his work clothes from this morning. His pea green dress shirt didn’t seem too out of place, the only difference being the sleeves were now rolled up to his arms, and his hair was still loose.

Obi-wan didn’t know why that was important for him, but it was nice to see that Qui-gon was still being Qui-gon even if his brother had been in his home for a couple of hours. Regardless, things were happening too fast for Obi-wan’s liking. It was bad enough that Roman had made his presence know a few weeks ago, but the simple fact that he was now in his home…again…and speaking to his friend made Obi-wan want to punch something. Specifically, his brother’s face.

Obi-wan didn’t want to sound rude, but before he could stop himself he said, “maybe it’s time for you to go Roman.”

Obi-wan watched as Roman straightened himself up to his full height and the jovial smile he wore disappeared into an angry sneer. Roman’s eyes narrowed as he shook off Anakin’s arm which was still around his waist and started to make his way over to Obi-wan, even as Anakin tried to bring him back to center by placing a hand on his shoulder, which Roman simply brushed off. 

Obi-wan braced himself for whatever was about to come next. He was used to seeing his brother’s anger get the best of him, but it had been a very long time since he’d seen this look on his face, which was often reserved for people he despised. Obi-wan wasn’t too sure why he was getting such a reaction from Roman, when all he wanted was for him to leave, but he was more than happy to face whatever was about to come his way if it just got Roman out of his house.

“Last time I checked baby brother, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you taking forever to bring Anakin back home.”

“You could have waited in the car,” Obi-wan stated as though Roman was a child.

“I’m sure you would like that, wouldn’t you? Keep me somewhere safe where you can keep tabs on me until I’m proven useful once again.”

Obi-wan opened his mouth to retort, but quickly closed it. This was not what he had been expecting when he had asked Roman to leave. Maybe it was time for him to backtrack and leave things be for the night before anything more was said.

“Like I said, maybe it’s time for you to go.”

Roman giggled and rolled his eyes at him.

“Maybe you should eat glass,” Roman quipped back. 

Obi-wan’s cheeks felt hot with anger as Roman’s comment hit home, but before Obi-wan could reply Roman turned his head to Qui-gon who was staring at the two of them in shock, probably from the words they were saying to one another. But Qui-gon’s defences seemed to be down due to the wine, so it was harder for him to break up the tension, but very easy for Roman to get into his personal space, which he did fairly well considering all that he had had to drink, and before Qui-gon or anybody could stop him, Obi-wan watched in horror as Roman took Qui-gon’s face forcibly between his two hands and tilted his face down so that he was looking at Roman and nobody else. 

“Thank you for a lovely evening Qui-gon,” Roman stating kindly as he leaned in and pressed his lips gently onto his, closing his eyes and sinking into the kiss as though he was searching for something.

Obi-wan’s mouth dropped open in shock, especially when in return, Qui-gon placed his large hands onto Roman’s shoulders, slightly bringing him forwards so that Roman had to take another step into Qui-gon’s personal space and bump his chest again his. This made Roman let out a small, quiet moan as he sunk deeper into the kiss. At this point, Obi-wan had to turn away and upon doing so, made eye contact with Anakin who had been staring at both men, until noticing Obi-wan and looking away suddenly. Obi-wan turned back towards Qui-gon and Roman to try and get somebody’s attention, as both men seemed to have forgotten that they weren’t the only ones in the room, especially when Roman slipped one of his hands into Qui-gon’s hair and let himself wrap his fingers against the silky smoothness, which made Qui-gon smile against Roman’s lips.

This just made Roman press in harder, oblivious to anyone except Qui-gon, and let out another quiet moan. 

Suddenly, Anakin cleared his throat, causing both men to let go of one another, but in no rush to do so. Roman slowly let go of Qui-gon’s mouth and untangled his hand from Qui-gon’s hair so that he could take a shaky step backwards. Qui-gon let his hands slip from Roman’s shoulders, even though Qui-gon was still gazing at Roman in awe.

“Well that just proves me right,” Roman said softly while stepping further back from Qui-gon but not looking anywhere else but him.

_Prove you right about what_ Obi-wan wanted to desperately ask but he held his tongue. For heaven’s sake Qui-gon wasn’t even moving! He was still watching Roman closely and listening to every word he said.

Obi-wan closed his eyes as his stomach churned. This evening was spiraling out of control and he was quite done with it thank you very much!

As if sensing his inner thoughts once more, Anakin took pity on him and stepped forward and grabbed Roman by his jacket before he could say or do any more damage. Anakin practically dragged him to the front door, which was still wide open, and began to steer him outside.

“Thanks again Obi-wan. See you tomorrow,” Anakin didn’t look back as he held on tight to Roman’s jacket and helped him walk down the steps leading to the car. Obi-wan watched as Roman wrapped an arm around Anakin’s waist and turned his head towards Obi-wan and Qui-gon to give a little wave.

Obi-wan waited as Anakin settled Roman into the passenger seat of his car and got into the driver’s side. It took a moment before Anakin could start the car as he seemed to have to coerce Roman to give him the keys, but as soon as they drove off, Obi-wan closed the front door with a calmness he didn’t feel on the inside. Placing both hands against the wood, he leaned his forehead against it and gave into a heavy sigh that had been building since he got into his car with Anakin.

This wasn’t good at all. 

Turning back towards Qui-gon, Obi-wan was about to start asking questions but stopped dead when he saw Qui-gon’s face. There was a look there that Obi-wan hadn’t seen before…if ever…Qui-gon had a far away look in his eyes, which shone from too much wine but something else that Obi-wan couldn’t put a finger on. He watched quietly as Qui-gon lifted a finger and traced his lips before turning around, and ignoring Obi-wan, started moving towards the living room to tidy up. 

“Err…don’t you think you want to talk about what just happened,” Obi-wan said awkwardly as he tried to get Qui-gon’s attention.

But Qui-gon simply bent down to grab the two wine glasses that were still sitting on the table by the couch he had been relaxing on with Roman. Instead of answering, he took his time fixing the couch cushions and then walked over to the fireplace. 

Obi-wan could feel his anxieties begin to burst inside his chest.

“Qui-gon!”

As if remembering that he was even in the room, Qui-gon turned to him and shook his head minutely as though coming out of a trance.

“My apologies Obi. Were you saying something?”

Obi-wan didn’t know what to say to that. It was rare for Qui-gon to be so dismissive. It happened sometimes, if he was focused on a good book or was caught up in marking during exam time, but he had never made Obi-wan feel so out of place, until now.

Without warning, Obi-wan felt all of his anxieties move from his chest to his stomach in one gigantic splash. 

No, this wasn’t good at all. This was terrible. 


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qui-gon and Roman continue to get closer, even though Qui-gon knows this will hurt Obi-wan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, as you can see the rating has changed. After working on other chapters, it became clear it would need to change. I blame Roman. 
> 
> Even though this chapter focuses on Qui-gon and Roman once again, this story is Obikin centric so rest assured these two characters will get their time as well. Qui-gon and Roman just needed some more time together. 
> 
> As always, thank you for your kind comments and kuddos. Being a first time writer, they help a lot. I was going to wait on posting another chapter, but thought it might be a good way to start the week. 
> 
> As always, enjoy!

Chapter 5

Qui-gon groaned as he rested his forehead against the cool stainless-steel fridge. He closed his eyes as he placed the orange juice container in his hand on the counter beside him. He was afraid to open his eyes all the way because of the sharp stabbing pain he received whenever he tried to do so. All Qui-gon knew was that he had to get himself in some kind of order if he had any hope of making it through the workday. Besides, he had no one to blame but himself for how he was currently feeling. 

Opening one eye slowly, Qui-gon began thinking back on last night. He could remember almost everything, even though some moments were fuzzy. He remembered Roman surprising him at the door, he remembered him offering Roman wine as a small peace offering once he felt the tension rise in the other man when he asked him to sit and chat. Peering through the kitchen window by the sink, Qui-gon slowly opened his other eye and waited for the sharp pain, but after a few seconds he was happy to find out that the sun shining through wasn’t as big of a threat as it had been when he had first woken up. Thankfully, the medicine was kicking in and Qui-gon was hopeful that a shower and some light food would make him feel better.

Slowly turning towards the cupboard which held all of their coffee mugs, teacups and juice glasses, Qui-gon started to pour himself some orange juice. Such a banal task that it allowed Qui-gon to think once more about Roman and the surprisingly delightful conversation he enjoyed with him for almost two hours. They had talked about Roman’s club (Coles notes version at best), but Qui-gon knew this and decided not to press for more. They talked about some of the people Roman knew, which in turn made Qui-gon talk about some of the people he knew in the city, as well as his job at the University, and even a little bit about Obi-wan. Roman had been a wonderful companion, much to Qui-gon’s immense astonishment. He only knew Roman through Obi-wan, and even though he trusted his friend to tell him the truth about his brother, Obi-wan had forgotten to mention that Roman was also very attentive when he had your attention, funny when he wanted to be, and was someone who didn’t hold back their emotions.

Roman had proven to be a breath of fresh air against Qui-gon’s stern, yet relaxed demeanour, and seemed to be what Qui-gon needed last night in his often very predictable world. 

Besides, Qui-gon didn’t know anyone else in his inner circle who could pull off the outfit Roman had on last night, but the other man did so flawlessly. Being a man who kept things simple, Qui-gon always noticed when someone else was a little more daring than he was, and Roman was a case in point! Smiling softly to himself, Qui-gon couldn’t help but remember how Roman had looked upon first meeting him on the doorstep. It had been a long time since someone had looked at Qui-gon that way, and the way Roman gawked at him stirred something inside Qui-gon, which he had not been expecting.

Of course, Qui-gon hadn’t realized just how strongly Roman had been feeling about meeting him until halfway through their evening when Roman looked Qui-gon up and down once more while they were sitting on the couch and Qui-gon (after feeling the heat of the liquor start to warm him just a bit too much), brought the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows. If Qui-gon hadn’t looked at Roman at that exact moment he probably would have missed the longing look Roman gave him, but as luck would have it he spotted Roman staring at him and couldn’t help but roll his sleeves up just a little bit higher. 

This was as risky as he was willing to get most days, but something about Roman made him feel a little more brave than usual. The move had been worth it too because that was when Roman poured himself his fourth glass of wine and took a long sip before starting their conversation once more. That fourth glass of wine allowed Roman to lower his defences, which was when Qui-gon brought up Obi-wan and got some honest answers from Roman regarding his brother. From what Qui-gon could recall he remembered the scowl that had appeared on Roman’s face at first, but what came out of their conversation was a picture of a man who had been misunderstood by his baby brother, and who wanted to understand Obi-wan a little bit more, but as far as Roman was concerned, it was Obi-wan who kept messing things up. Qui-gon hadn’t commented on anything, he just let Roman talk, for he knew the other side of the story and so he took what Roman said with a grain of salt. After that, things got a bit blurry. Qui-gon had been on his third glass of wine by the time Obi-wan and Anakin had barged through the door. Qui-gon could barely remember the look on Obi-wan’s face, but he could only assume he was displeased and quite frankly Qui-gon couldn’t blame him. But of course, that was when Roman took it upon himself to kiss the life out of him before he left for the night.

Qui-gon lifted the glass of orange juice to his lips and took another long chug before bringing it back down to the counter. Pursing his lips together, Qui-gon swallowed slowly as he remembered the feeling of Roman’s mouth on his. Even through the haze of liquor the thing that stood out the most from that kiss was the smoothness of Roman’s lips as he pressed them harder and harder against his, the softness of his shirt and suit jacket as Qui-gon placed his hands on his shoulders to steady himself, and finally the delicate smell of vanilla Roman seemed to have. It was this scent that surrounded Qui-gon’s senses as Roman pressed himself closer and closer. 

It had been _intoxicating_. 

So much so that Qui-gon was left with the desire for more the moment Roman stepped back. Even when Roman and Anakin had left for the evening, Qui-gon found himself in a bit of a stupor and he swore he could still smell the faint whiff of Roman’s scent as he tidied up around the house. The sad part was, Qui-gon couldn’t explain why last night felt so significant. There was no rhyme or reason for it. All Qui-gon knew was that he had enjoyed himself, and that these… _feelings_ …if they could even be called that…were just _there_ and had been growing the moment Roman sat down beside him on the couch. 

Taking one last sip of orange juice, Qui-gon placed his glass in the sink, making sure that he would finish the rest after he got ready for the day. There was no point in standing in the kitchen a moment longer and reminiscing about last evening. He had a job to do, and he needed to get through the day so he could get home and talk things through with Obi-wan, and then ruminate on things further when he had some time to himself.

Turning around, Qui-gon made it two steps towards the swinging door of the kitchen before it swung open for him and Obi-wan walked through.

Qui-gon couldn’t help but take in Obi-wan’s appearance as he stopped dead in his tracks and waited for Qui-gon to say something. His friend looked like he hadn’t slept for more than a couple of hours, and his clothes looked a bit haphazard, which wasn’t like him at all. Qui-gon hated how awkward the two of them were behaving around one other, not that he could blame Obi-wan. 

Qui-gon knew where the problem lay. It was quite simple. Both Qui-gon and Obi-wan had been friends for so long that there were no secrets between the two of them, and Obi-wan had laid himself bare many times when it came to Roman. It was a topic of great sensitivity, so the fact that he shared anything with Qui-gon was not something to be taken lightly. Obi-wan had a hard time expressing emotion at the best of times, so him talking about Roman and how he was the bright light in his parents lives, whereas he was nothing more than a nuisance once his family figured out he had no interest in pursuing his families affairs, was something Qui-gon valued.

Therefore, Qui-gon reacting to Obi-wan as though he was nothing more than an afterthought last night would do no good. Of course, that wasn’t the worst of it, for then there had been the kiss. Qui-gon had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts and feelings, he could only imagine what had been going through Obi-wan’s head at the time.

With this in mind, Qui-gon decided to start making things right by talking first.

“Good morning Obi. How are you this morning?”

Obi-wan seemed somewhat startled that Qui-gon was speaking to him and said simply, “I’m fine. You?”

“I’ll survive. Did you sleep alright once you got to bed last night? I noticed you slipped away shortly after everyone left.”

Obi-wan continued to watch Qui-gon and said, “yes.” 

Qui-gon couldn’t help but note that Obi-wan was keeping things short and sweet, which was so unlike their relationship it made Qui-gon inwardly cringe for a moment. This was hardly the usual banter the two of them shared every morning. Obi-wan could be counted on discussing numerous things with Qui-gon as they got ready for the day, and the two of them would often make plans for their evenings together.

Not to be deterred, Qui-gon tried again.

“Obi…look, I’m so sorry for what happened last night. Please…just…don’t judge me too harshly on what happened. I don’t know what…I don’t…” Qui-gon didn’t know how to continue, but Obi-wan seemed to take pity on him at that exact moment and his face softened as he came towards Qui-gon and wrapped him up in a friendly hug.

Qui-gon released the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, but all of a sudden there was a dull ache in his shoulders as the tension began to ebb away. Obi-wan rested his chin on his shoulder as Qui-gon leaned down. Giving him one long squeeze, Obi-wan let go and placed both of his hands on Qui-gon’s upper arms as he sighed at him.

“You don’t need to say any more old friend. I appreciate what you are trying to say. I’m sorry for my behaviour as well. I shouldn’t have been so cross with you when it wasn’t your behaviour that I was truly mad at.”

Qui-gon frowned at him, “I’m not completely blameless Obi. It’s not just Roman who drank a little too much last night.”

Obi-wan quirked an eyebrow, not quite believing Qui-gon’s words.

“That may be true, but you have to agree that your behaviour was completely out of character last night, whereas the way Roman behaved was not.”

Qui-gon didn’t say anything in return, for he knew that may be true about himself, but he knew just from his conversation with Roman last night that the other man probably hadn’t meant any harm when he kissed Qui-gon. As far as Qui-gon was concerned, Roman wasn’t trying to get back at Obi-wan by kissing Qui-gon. Qui-gon honestly believed that he…well… _wanted_ to kiss him.

Obi-wan released Qui-gon’s arms and started moving around the kitchen as he fixed himself some breakfast before going to work. Qui-gon waited patiently to see if Obi-wan was going to add anything more to the conversation. He knew to give Obi-wan some time to process things before leaving. Sure enough, after a few moments Obi-wan said, “let’s just pretend yesterday didn’t happen, shall we?” Obi-wan turned to Qui-gon and gave him a weak smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Once again, Qui-gon was struck with the painful reminder that he had hurt Obi-wan with his actions last night, maybe even more so than Roman because Obi-wan expected this sort of thing from his brother, but not of him.

“I feel as though I’ve hurt you more than Roman for some reason Obi, and for that I apologize.”

Obi-wan’s reaction was immediate the moment Qui-gon finished speaking.

“Qui, you can’t possibly believe that!”

“Of course I do. Roman may have kissed me, but I didn’t stop it and then I became so wrapped up in it that I continued to ignore you for the rest of the evening!”

Obi-wan rolled his eyes. A gesture that was so like Roman that Qui-gon had to stop himself from smirking at the familiarity. 

“Let’s not be too dramatic Qui-gon. My brother can be very convincing when he wants to be, so I don’t blame you for a moment. But Qui…just…just promise me you won’t let Roman do any more than he did last night. He’s not a good person…and I don’t…I just don’t trust him.”

Qui-gon watched as Obi-wan tried his best to keep his words as casual as possible, but Qui-gon could sense the anxiety Obi-wan held in his words. Qui-gon shut his eyes quickly so as to harness in his thoughts.

What a fool he was being!

What happened last night was a blip as far as he was concerned, and it wasn’t worth thinking about anymore if it meant hurting his friendship with Obi-wan. Whatever conversation he and Roman may have had last night, or how good Roman felt pressed up against him, it wasn’t worth it. Obi-wan was right. Roman was dangerous and Qui-gon didn’t need to take things any further.

Obi-wan waited uneasily as Qui-gon processed these thoughts. Stroking his beard with one hand, Obi-wan wrapped his other arm around his waist as though protecting himself from whatever Qui-gon was about to say back. When Qui-gon opened his eyes, he saw his friend’s gesture and knew Obi-wan was unsure as to what he was about to say. Qui-gon could only smile sincerely at him, “Oh Obi…I promise you that won’t happen. I have no intention of seeking Roman out. There is no need to worry about something that is never going to happen.” Qui-gon believed the words coming out of his mouth with his entire being. He would never jeopardize his friendship with Obi-wan for anything, and nothing would change his mind.

Obi-wan could tell how sincere Qui-gon was being and smiled kindly back at him, “thank you Qui-gon. I…I just…thank you.”

Nothing more needed to be said as Qui-gon turned around and made his way out of their kitchen. If he had any hopes of clearing his head, and being ready on time, he had to get upstairs and focus. He was sure he and Obi-wan would discuss things in more detail later on that evening, but for now he could rest easy knowing that his friendship with Obi-wan was still strong.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Qui-gon was quietly sitting in his office working through the piles of papers he had to mark. He loved the routine and the rhythm of his job, especially when after a full day of working with young minds he got the opportunity to come back to his office and relax a little. This was the one spot in the entire University where he could be himself, for not only was the space full of items that displayed his own academic history with trophies, awards, newspaper articles, etc., but it also held numerous books that he just didn’t have room for at home. A comfortable sofa sat against one wall with a blanket tossed over the side for when Qui-gon got too wrapped up in his work and lost track of time. In the past, he would sometimes find himself spending the night there, but that happened less now since Obi-wan moved in with him. Knowing that someone was waiting for you at the end of the day changed that…

An assortment of lamps and a large wooden desk made the room comfortable, but still have an air of sophistication, which Qui-gon loved.

Qui-gon’s desk was strewn with papers, pens, highlighters, and books as he continued to mark his student’s papers. Economics may not be everyone’s forte, but it was certainly his and he loved reading what his students put together regarding numbers, facts, and charts. Qui-gon knew he would work until all the papers were marked as it was becoming apparent from the amount of times he had already been interrupted by his students that they were anxious to get their grades back.

As soon as Qui-gon placed a marked paper onto a neat pile on his desk, somebody knocked on his office door. Qui-gon could only chuckle slightly at the interruption. He was sure it was one of his students based on how timid they knocked.

“Come in,” Qui-gon spoke firmly without looking up from the paper in front of him. He was confident it was one of his students and knew the sooner he answered their questions, the sooner he could get back to grading their papers and get home to Obi-wan so that they could finish their discussion from earlier this morning.

Whoever it was came in quickly and shut the door behind them with a soft _click_. It wasn’t until he heard the lock go that Qui-gon looked up in confusion. 

“There is not need to lock the door, I promise you…” Qui-gon’s words died in his throat at he saw Roman standing with his back against the door. 

“Hello darling,” Roman grinned as he slowly made his way towards the front of Qui-gon’s desk and proceeded to take off the leather gloves he had been wearing, before tossing them towards the sofa nonchalantly. Ignoring Qui-gon’s reaction (or lack thereof), he gave a low whistle as he looked around Qui-gon’s office, while stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. Roman shook his head up and down in appreciation as he looked around. 

“Impressive Qui-gon. I have to admit this is nice. When you said you worked at the University last night, I never pictured you in your office. I just pictured you looking sexy in front of your students,” turning his gaze back towards Qui-gon who was still frozen in place, Roman winked and moved backwards until he was against the sofa. Roman proceeded to throw himself down onto it, stretching both arms against the back and sighing happily as though he belonged there. 

“Are you going to say anything, or shall I continue,” Roman was clearly enjoying himself.

Qui-gon blinked a couple of times before coming out of his trance and cleared his throat while he put down the pen and paper he had been working on. Thinking of Obi-wan, Qui-gon knew what he had to do.

Standing up from his desk chair, Qui-gon couldn’t help but smile slightly as he gazed at Roman’s relaxed posture and expectant expression on his face. The smile was an immediate reaction towards Roman, one which Qui-gon had no answer for, except to say that he was happy to see the man who he had had a delightful conversation with the night before.

_Let alone a delightful kiss…_

Before he let his thoughts get the best of him, Qui-gon cleared his throat one more time and asked as casually as he could, “what are you doing here Roman?”

Roman shrugged his shoulders and looked away, “I thought I would come for a visit after you told me about your job last night. It sounded… _interesting_ …” at this Roman looked at Qui-gon again and smirked.

“Why do I get the feeling that’s not the reason you’re here,” Qui-gon asked.

Roman tilted his head back and laughed loudly, “you wouldn’t be wrong darling,” he said smoothly while standing up from the sofa. Qui-gon watched in tense silence as Roman took off the white jacket he was wearing, throwing it towards the leather gloves he had just taken off a few moments ago.

Turning back towards Qui-gon, he shrugged his shoulders. “I just wanted to see you again. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Qui-gon swallowed again the lump in his throat. He hadn’t expected Roman to be so honest.

“I…I…I don’t know what to say to that,” Qui-gon looked down at his desk, suddenly feeling shy. In a nervous gesture he ran his hand through his hair, his hand catching on the leather ponytail holder he used to pull half of his hair away from his face while marking. When Roman didn’t say anything for a few seconds he looked back up and immediately felt his cheeks heat up at the hungry way Roman was watching him.

It was the same look Roman gave him last night, but now it seemed even more charged.

Quickly moving his hands away from himself, Qui-gon kept himself busy by shuffling papers around his desk and putting away any pens or highlighters he had been using.

“Care to tell me about any of these awards,” Qui-gon looked up at Roman’s soft voice and watched as Roman made his way over to the bookcases that held his memorabilia. Qui-gon just let Roman look around as he watched him quietly. 

“You played rugby! Why doesn’t that surprise me,” Roman turned his head and the smile he gave Qui-gon was genuine. He seemed really pleased with this information.

“That was a long time ago I’m afraid,” Qui-gon said matter-of-factly.

Roman waved a dismissive hand in his direction as though he didn’t believe him and continued to peer at all of Qui-gon’s trophies and awards. Qui-gon couldn’t help himself as he took a small appreciative glance at Roman and noticed once more how Roman’s wild and colorful t-shirt seemed to be even brighter against the neutral colors of Qui-gon’s office. Qui-gon couldn’t hide the private smile that graced his lips at how comfortable Roman fit in to most things.

Turning around fully, Roman smirked in his direction once more.

“My goodness Qui-gon. Rugby team…rowing team…awards for papers you have written…newspaper articles. My my, is there anything you can’t do?”

Feeling somewhat self-conscious, Qui-gon could only shake his head, “it’s not that big of a deal.”

Roman made his way to the front of Qui-gon’s desk and leaned in so that he was closer to Qui-gon than ever before as he whispered, “I beg to differ. I think you’re kind of a…” at this Roman let his eyes travel from Qui-gon’s waistline to his face, “ _big deal_.”

Qui-gon knew he should be turned off by such a statement, but instead he felt the stirrings of desire begin in his lower abdomen. Qui-gon said nothing but watched as Roman leaned in even more. Qui-gon didn’t move away. 

“I meant what I said Qui-gon. I couldn’t stop thinking about you since last night.”

Qui-gon swallowed hard as his stomach flopped with butterflies.

“I appreciate the comment Roman, but I…I don’t think it would be wise for you to pursue anything. I’m not interested.”

At this Roman leaned back and frowned at Qui-gon.

“Not interested?! Are you kidding me?!”

“I’m afraid not,” Qui-gon spoke softly so as to not anger Roman further.

Roman placed his hands on his hips and stared at Qui-gon as though he was waiting for Qui-gon to say he was kidding. Finally, he let out a dramatic sigh and said rashly, “I seem to recall you were more than interested last night!” 

Qui-gon frowned at Roman’s apparent frustration and shook his head at him, “I’m sorry if you thought that Roman. Please know I appreciated your company last night, but that’s as far as I want it to go.”

Qui-gon wasn’t feeling entirely confident in his words, but he knew he had to keep his promise to Obi-wan. Roman narrowed his eyes as he searched Qui-gon’s face again, as though Qui-gon would give away his inner secrets. Out of nowhere Roman seemed to find what he had been looking for, as he quickly pointed an accusatory finger at Qui-gon and shouted, “AH HA! I knew it! I bloody well knew it! You don’t believe a FUCKING WORD you’re saying!”

Qui-gon quickly tried to school his features and crossed his arms in front of his chest, as though he was protecting himself, “I’m not lying Roman. Now if you don’t mind, I have some marking to do.”

Qui-gon didn’t mean to be so dismissive, but he also knew that if Roman continued down this path, he would be able to see right through Qui-gon and his thin, veiled attempts to put him off. Roman was too good at reading people, which was probably a work hazard, and Qui-gon was hanging on by a thread as it was. 

Roman’s eyes tightened in anger as he brought his hand up and ran it through his hair before pulling on it slightly and letting out a frustrated shout. Qui-gon would have been perplexed by his behaviour if he weren’t so wrapped up in how bloody handsome Roman looked right now. Qui-gon was sure that Roman was used to getting what he wanted, so the fact that his simple seduction techniques weren’t going the way he had planned made him pleasantly distraught. 

Qui-gon felt terrible thinking this, but deep down he was tickled pink that he could make Roman feel so unsatisfied. 

“Is this about Obi-wan,” Roman finally questioned after taking a calming breath and letting his hand drop from his hair, which now stood up in various directions, making him look even more devilishly handsome as far as Qui-gon was concerned. 

Qui-gon sighed, “some part of it is, yes. You have to know that Obi wasn’t exactly happy with what happened last night Roman. It was unexpected, and…” before Qui-gon could finish his sentence Roman was rushing back into his personal space, placing both hands on his desk and moving in. 

“I don’t care what Obi-wan thinks,” Roman stated firmly.

Quick as lightning, Roman grasped the back of Qui-gon’s neck and began kissing Qui-gon as hard as he could. Qui-gon let out a surprised gasp. This was so reminiscent of the night before; he would have laughed at the simplicity of it were he not trying to gain purchase on his desk so that he wouldn’t fall forward and crush Roman. Unfortunately, this just gave the other man the time he needed to reach forward and wrap his arms firmly around Qui-gon’s neck as he got one knee up onto the desk and pulled himself forward. Before Qui-gon knew what was happening he let Roman take control as he got both knees up onto his desk and tangled his hands in Qui-gon’s hair.

He was a goner.

As Roman pressed as hard as he could against his mouth, any thoughts Qui-gon had around Obi-wan left in a rush as he smelled the faint scent of vanilla just like he had the night before. It made him dizzy and Qui-gon felt a warmth inside him that he hadn’t felt in ages. Like the sun coming out after a storm, Qui-gon felt almost delirious as he wrapped his arms around Roman’s small waist and pulled him forwards across his desk until he was flush against him. Roman let out a small whimper as Qui-gon tightened his hold and brought one of his large hands up against Roman’s backside, giving it a firm squeeze.

“Holy _fuck_ …” Roman said breathlessly as he brought his forehead against Qui-gon’s to catch his breath.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Qui-gon whispered against his mouth.

Roman’s eyes widened at his words, but before he could say anything he let out a small shout of surprise as Qui-gon brought himself up to his full height, and pressed himself fully against him so that Roman had no choice but to lay down against Qui-gon’s desk and flatten himself against it. 

“Qui-gon…what are… _Qui-gon_ ,” Roman whispered at he looked up at Qui-gon with eyes that were half-lidded in pleasure. Qui-gon was fairly certain his were looking the same. There seemed to be a new appreciation in Roman’s gaze, as though he was stunned at how forceful Qui-gon was being. Now that Roman was almost completely under him, Qui-gon couldn’t help but feel the power behind his movements and was somewhat surprised himself at how quickly Roman got this reaction out of him. Once more, Qui-gon was struck with how _perfect_ this felt.

Qui-gon didn’t move as Roman continued to stare at him in fascination, until finally he brought his hands up once more to run through Qui-gon’s hair. But instead of tangling his fingers, Qui-gon felt Roman take hold of his ponytail and undo it so that his hair was falling loosely once more.

“That’s better,” Roman whispered as he tossed the hair tie somewhere onto the floor before leaning up on his elbows and kissing Qui-gon gently. Qui-gon closed his eyes at the touch and opened his mouth a little bit more so that Roman could explore. It didn’t take long for him to get his tongue inside his mouth, and both Qui-gon and Roman moaned at the same time, overwhelmed by the new sensations. Qui-gon could feel Roman’s hands begin to shake slightly as he took control of the kiss and buried his hands in Qui-gon’s hair until his hands pressed firmly against the back of Qui-gon’s head. 

Qui-gon wasn’t sure how far he was willing to let this go, but for now he was more than happy to feel Roman underneath him as they continued to explore one another. Time seemed to stand still as Qui-gon let Roman touch him, and Roman seemed more than happy having Qui-gon on top him. It wasn’t until Roman moved away from Qui-gon’s mouth to take a gigantic gulp of air that Qui-gon realized just how puffy and sore his mouth was from Roman’s administrations. Looking at Roman’s flushed cheeks and swollen lips, he knew he felt the same.

Roman seemed to understand, for as soon as he caught his breath Roman began to place small kisses on the side of Qui-gon’s neck. Qui-gon tilted his head sideways as Roman moved his way down, forgetting until now just how good it felt. It wasn’t until Roman spoke that Qui-gon came back to reality.

“I knew you would taste good,” Roman whispered in his ear before licking at it slightly and nipping at his earlobe. Qui-gon laughed in delight as Roman’s words washed over him. Nobody had ever said such things to him, and the fact that Roman was more than happy to tell him exactly how he made him feel made Qui-gon feel even more powerful. Roman simply smiled against his skin as he heard Qui-gon’s genuine laughter and changed directions as he moved to the other side, kissing, and licking as he went. Qui-gon didn’t know how long Roman went on for, but by the time he was done Qui-gon was holding onto the edge of his desk so that he didn’t fall completely on top of Roman and hurt him.

Roman smirked up at Qui-gon as they made eye contact with one another, before leaning in for another kiss, which Qui-gon gladly gave him. It was at this point that Qui-gon shifted his legs so that he could somehow get even closer to the man beneath him, only to hear a sharp gasp against his mouth as he made contact with Roman’s lower half. 

Up to this point, Qui-gon had been so focused on Roman’s lips, arms, and tongue that he hadn’t thought about anything else. But upon hearing Roman’s small gasp he moved away from him slightly so that he could change their position. Roman was in such a daze he didn’t even react as Qui-gon leaned onto his knees and quickly turned Roman so that his entire body was now laying on top of his desk, from one end to the other. Qui-gon threw papers, books, pens, anything that was in his way onto the floor without the slightest bit of hesitation.

This gesture seemed to delight Roman judging from the wide smile he gave him as Qui-gon laid down once more and pressed himself completely on top of him. Qui-gon shuddered slightly as Roman settled underneath him and let out a long, happy sigh as he brought his arms around Qui-gon’s shoulders and let one of his hands find its way into Qui-gon’s hair. 

Qui-gon couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at the gesture.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think you have a thing for my hair,” Qui-gon teased as he kissed Roman gently on the mouth.

Qui-gon felt the vibrations against his chest as Roman let out a soft chuckle. 

“I love how it feels,” Roman said honestly as he looked Qui-gon in the eye and let him see exactly how he was feeling. Qui-gon was somewhat taken aback at how much emotion Roman’s eyes seemed to show. Roman was holding nothing back, as though any shields he had were down, and that alone humbled Qui-gon as he felt Roman’s hands continue to work themselves in his hair.

In response, Qui-gon let his mouth hover against Roman’s as he began to move his hips in a slow motion, feeling Roman’s cock harden underneath him, causing Roman to let his mouth hang open in a surprised gasp as he tilted his head back and banged it against the desk. Feeling bold, Qui-gon brought his mouth towards Roman’s ear and spoke softly against it, “and I love how you feel underneath me.”

Roman snapped his eyes open, staring at Qui-gon with a startled expression on his face, before he shuddered and let out a breathless, “ _Qui-gon…_ ”

Grabbing Qui-gon’s broad shoulders with both hands, Roman tugged hard until Qui-gon’s lips rejoined his as he kissed him greedily. Not letting Qui-gon up for air, Roman wrapped one of his legs around Qui-gon’s thighs and thrusted up hard once, twice before moving a hand and placing it at the opening of Qui-gon’s pants. 

Qui-gon shuddered at the contact, slowly moving his hips in time with Roman’s. 

_Knock, knock, knock._

“Professor Jinn, are you available to talk?”

Qui-gon ripped his mouth away the moment he heard someone at his office door, while Roman slammed the hand that had just seconds ago been holding onto his zipper onto Qui-gon’s desk as hard as he could.

“OH, FOR FUC…” Qui-gon placed one of his hands that was currently unoccupied, over Roman’s mouth in his haste to silence him, and upon doing so he could hear Roman mumbling angrily under his hand in protest. Seeing his red, sweaty face, Qui-gon burst out laughing and had to stifle his laughter by placing his mouth overtop of his own hand in a pitiful attempt to be quiet enough so that the person behind his door wouldn’t hear them. 

Leaning down he whispered in Roman’s ear, “that would be one of my students looking for their term paper,” Qui-gon let out a puff of air as Roman mumbled under his hand and rolled his eyes, causing Qui-gon to think back to Obi-wan who did the exact same this just that morning, but he quickly made himself think about more pressing matters. Removing his hand slowly so as to ensure Roman wouldn’t burst into another fit of disappointment, Qui-gon stuttered towards the person at his door, “I’m afraid I ca…can’t at the moment. Can you come back in…uhhh…five minutes?”

Roman just lifted his eyebrows and smirked at Qui-gon. 

After what felt like an eternity, the person said, “yeah…sure…ummm, are you sure everything is alright professor? You sound a bit winded.”

Roman snorted and turned his head into Qui-gon’s arm.

“Yes…I’m…uhhh, I’m fine. Thank you. Just the… _ouch_ …” Qui-gon kneeled up on his desk and rubbed his arm where Roman had nipped him with his teeth. Roman leered at him in response. 

“What was that for,” Qui-gon mouthed, to which Roman just shrugged his shoulders and reached up to try and caress Qui-gon’s arms which were sadly out of reach. Roman visibly pouted as the person behind the door said, “are you sure Professor? I can get help if you need it.”

At this they tried the door handle and Qui-gon had never been more relieved in his life that Roman was somebody who thought ahead.

“Yes, I’m fine! Just fine. See you in five minutes,” Qui-gon stated sternly. Whoever was behind the door must have gotten the message for a few seconds later he could hear their footsteps as they walked back down the hallway. Qui-gon’s knees began to ache as he continued to kneel on his desk. But instead of focusing on it, Qui-gon placed his hands on his face and gave a heavy sigh. That had been too close.

Qui-gon could feel Roman squirming around until he removed himself from underneath him. Qui-gon was positive Roman had gotten up to get ready to leave when he suddenly felt warm hands wrap themselves around his and bring them down to his lap. Qui-gon was mesmerized as he opened his eyes and saw Roman’s lust filled eyes in front of him. Roman gave both of his hands a firm squeeze while looking at him with pure lust. 

“Looks like our time here is done for now. But rest assured I will find you again,” Roman spoke softly as he caressed Qui-gon’s cheekbones with his thumbs. Qui-gon could detect a sense of possessiveness behind Roman’s words, even as he used gentleness to calm him. If any of the stories Obi-wan told were true, Roman would make good on his word. Before Qui-gon could say anything, Roman gave him a quick kiss and then twisted around to slide off the desk, quickly collecting his jacket and gloves from the sofa, but not bothering to put them back on. Instead, Roman peered into the glass of one of Qui-gon’s bookcases and rather hastily readjusted his shirt collar, while running a hand through his hair to make it look like he hadn’t just been on a desk getting dishevelled by a man he had only met yesterday.

Satisfied with how he looked, Roman turned back to Qui-gon who was still kneeling on his desk, unable to move, and gave him a wide tooth grin.

“Until next time darling,” Roman blew him a kiss and then unlocked his office door and left just as quickly as he had arrived. 

As soon as Roman was gone, Qui-gon leapt from his desk as fast as his joints would let him and rushed towards the door to look down the hallway. Whether he was looking to make sure that Roman was indeed gone, or just to see him one last time was anybody’s guess, but as Qui-gon looked to his right, he saw Roman steadily walking down the hallway towards the doors leading outside.

Qui-gon shut his office door quietly and proceeded to sink to the floor, suddenly exhausted by what just occurred. Placing his hands against the cool floor, Qui-gon leaned his head back against the wall as he became overwhelmed with guilt. Of all the things to happen to him today, never in his wildest dreams had he thought about this. He had promised himself and Obi-wan just this morning that Roman would not be an issue and look at how easily the man had wound his way into his personal life.

Qui-gon could feel his emotions begin to take over as he wondered what he was going to do. How was he going to keep this from Obi-wan? Did he want to keep it from him? Was there anything to keep hidden if he put a stop to things? How was he going to stop Roman who was like a freight train out of control? Qui-gon let out a shaky breath as he pulled himself off of the floor and slowly began to tidy up his office. Just like the night before, Roman had come in and like a whirlwind had scooped Qui-gon up into his vortex without hesitation, leaving Qui-gon alone to clean up the mess, both literally and figuratively. As Qui-gon bent down one last time to pick up some papers that had hit the ground in his haste to lay Roman down onto his desk, Qui-gon felt his throat begin to tighten as an unbidden thought crossed his mind.

_If it’s so important to keep your promise to Obi-wan, why do you wish nothing more than for Roman to come back and finish what he started?_

Qui-gon truly didn’t know the answer to this thought, so he sat back down in his office chair and decided to mediate for a few moments until whoever it was that came to his door just moments ago returned asking about their grade. Qui-gon couldn’t wait until this day was over, and yet he wanted nothing more than to turn back time and start his rendezvous with Roman all over again.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan and Anakin are working together at night now that the first debate is just days away, much to Anakin's delight. Obi-wan is just trying to figure out if Anakin is flirting with him for a reason, whereas Anakin just wants Obi-wan to make a move. 
> 
> Emotions are running high as both men try to express themselves clearly, and Obi-wan begins to worry about the whereabouts of Qui-gon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who commented, etc. As always, I truly appreciate it. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who has jumped on the Qui-gon/Roman ship! Things are about to get messy, but some tension can finally be released as Obi-wan and Anakin finally get some time together. Stupid boys! 
> 
> I'll probably be posting Chapter 7 sometime before Sunday as I have it mostly written and Anakin is about to go through a lot. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 6

A week later, Obi-wan found himself working from home with Anakin by his side. They were just days away from the first debate, where Obi-wan and Palpatine would face off against one another. A war of words as it were; a task that Obi-wan felt he was more than ready for. But his team had been working furiously to make sure his speech was perfect, and quite frankly Obi-wan had never been prouder of them. Between Satine’s diplomatic tenacity, Cody’s firm yet polite approach, and even Mace’s hold no prisoners attitude, Obi-wan was beginning to feel that they could do no wrong. The fact that they believed in him just as strongly as Obi-wan believed in his team made things run smoothly.

Which was why when Anakin had showed up a few weeks ago, under the guise of wanting to learn about Obi-wan’s campaign, Obi-wan himself had been a bit hesitant. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Anakin would be a good person to have around, or that he was lying when he said he wanted to know a little bit about politics, but he was unsure if Anakin would fit in with his team. Having been around Roman as much as he had been, Obi-wan didn’t want any of his brother’s _influences_ to disrupt his team’s flow. 

Now, Obi-wan no longer held that fear. Since day one his team liked Anakin’s ideas and he had proven to be an inquisitive asset when it came to strategizing and figuring out new ways for gaining votes. Not only that, but everyone at Obi-wan’s campaign office enjoyed Anakin’s company. The young man had a natural way of getting people’s attention and would often make people feel at ease simply by talking to them. The fact that Anakin was naturally good at politics made Obi-wan immensely pleased because they now had the opportunity to talk about what Obi-wan could do as Senator of Coruscant, and he loved listening to Anakin’s ideas, just as much as Anakin seemed to enjoy listening to his. Anakin was gaining his attention on a daily basis, and Obi-wan enjoyed his company. Even if there had been some bumps along the way, such as when Anakin forgot that he was new, and would scoff or forget to listen to someone with more experience, both Obi-wan or Satine would take Anakin aside to remind him that he didn’t know everything. More often than not, after a few moments of conversation, Anakin would get over himself and apologize. However, if once in awhile the person Anakin tended to piss off was good old Mace Windu, Obi-wan couldn’t find it within himself to care.

But that was his secret…for Obi-wan knew Anakin was doing it on purpose just to get a rise out of Mace, and he often succeeded. 

Speaking of secrets…

There was one thing that Obi-wan hadn’t shared yet with anyone. Not even Qui-gon. Obi-wan was still trying to figure it out on his own, and until then he would keep quiet. The secret was that Obi-wan had started to find himself searching for Anakin the moment he got to work most days. If he didn’t hear his laughter or see his tall form hunched over his desk a few minutes after walking in, he would go looking for him. If Anakin was running late, Obi-wan would keep looking towards the door to see when he got in, sometimes with a cup of coffee in hand if Anakin looked overtired or irritable because he had slept through his alarm again.

A habit that Obi-wan found adorable, but that was something else to stay quiet about. 

Deep down Obi-wan knew that Anakin was becoming more to him than just a team member. His brain kept screaming that Anakin was becoming a friend. His heart kept screaming at him that he wanted more. Obi-wan tended to listen to his brain more than his heart, so he stuck with the friend scenario for now. Besides, whether or not Anakin felt the same way was yet to be seen. Obi-wan was sure Anakin enjoyed his company, but besides the odd flirty comment here or there, Anakin was no different around Obi-wan than he was with everybody else. Obi-wan was beginning to hope for more, but he wasn’t sure if this was the right time. 

“I only found a couple of changes,” Anakin stated as he walked over to Obi-wan who was currently sitting at his dining room table, checking emails. Obi-wan looked away from his computer screen, blinking a couple of times to refocus after being so lost in thought.

“Thank you Anakin,” Obi-wan took the papers from his hands and saw Anakin’s changes in red pen. There only seemed to be a few, which made Obi-wan happy. They didn’t have much time left to make any more big changes, so the more time he could practice his speech instead of dealing with rewrites the better. Anakin stood back as Obi-wan looked things over. The moment Obi-wan placed the papers onto the dining room table Anakin moved a chair and sat across from Obi-wan with a slight smile.

“You look like you could use a break,” Obi-wan noted as he took off his glasses and placed them on the table beside his speech. Rubbing his hands over his face, Obi-wan realized he could use a break as well.

“It’s getting close to supper. I could make us something if you like,” Anakin said earnestly. Obi-wan smiled politely at him, but knew his answer would be no. It was fine for Anakin to help him throughout the day, without getting paid much mind you, but he wasn’t going to cook for him.

“That’s quite all right Anakin. Perhaps Qui-gon left something for us in the fridge,” Obi-wan stood up and missed the crestfallen expression that graced Anakin’s face as he too got up and followed Obi-wan into the kitchen. Obi-wan went straight to the fridge and opened it up to find that he had indeed been correct. Qui-gon did have leftovers, and as always, they looked fabulous! Obi-wan began to take the containers out of the fridge and only when he had placed everything on the island did he begin to realize that these leftovers were from a couple of days ago. These were the same containers he and Qui-gon had put together two nights ago after finishing a pleasant meal, which meant Qui-gon hadn’t been home for the past couple of nights to have supper. Obi-wan hadn’t either, but he had told Qui-gon that, knowing he would be too busy with his speech. 

Placing that thought into the back of his mind, Obi-wan quickly started taking off the lids of the containers and undoing the saran wrap.

“I’ll get the plates,” Anakin went towards the cupboards, only to stop and look at Obi-wan with a confused glance. Obi-wan chuckled at him, “the first two cupboards to your left carry the plates. Everything else is right beside you.”

“Ahhhh,” Anakin snapped his fingers as Obi-wan told him where to go, quickly opening the right cupboards and drawers to get everything they needed. 

The two men worked in companionable silence as they heated up the leftovers and placed everything onto the island. Placing a spoon into the bowl of carrots Anakin had just put down, Obi-wan handed Anakin a plate and allowed him to go first. Obi-wan watched as Anakin looked at the food with glee.

“This smells amazing!”

Obi-wan couldn’t help but agree, “that’s all Qui-gon. I’m allowed to set the table and put things away, but I’m afraid my culinary skills aren’t up to par.”

Anakin gave him a skeptical look, “I’m sure you’re not all that bad.”

Obi-wan wished he could believe that but based on the few failed attempts he had just boiling water he wasn’t in a rush to try again. He told Anakin as such. 

Anakin’s eyebrows raised in surprise, “well…good thing Qui-gon can count on you for decent conversation, otherwise you wouldn’t be a catch at all.”

“Oh ha-ha,” Obi-wan began dishing up his plate as Anakin’s soft chuckle hit his ears. It took a few moments for Obi-wan to realize what Anakin just said. There it was again. Anakin’s flirty words…which could be flirting…or could not be flirting…Obi-wan was so confused. All this back and forth was leaving him wondering if Anakin meant the words that came out of his mouth, or if this was just the way he was in general. Obi-wan was used to flirting, so he should know the signs, but for some reason when it came to Anakin, he just couldn’t be sure. 

Anakin handed him a napkin and the two of them left the kitchen to eat in the dining room. Anakin placed two placemats that he had tucked under his arm onto the table and moved Obi-wan’s belongings to the other side, so to make things a little fancier. Obi-wan appreciated the gesture and showed it by quickly getting Anakin and himself a glass each, which he proceeded to fill with ice cold water after Anakin told him that he didn’t drink. Obi-wan deliberately put water in his glass as well.

“May I ask why you don’t,” Obi-wan was curious. Not because he though Anakin was somehow weird for doing so, but because he was interested in Anakin’s reasoning.

Anakin kept his eyes on his plate as he shrugged his shoulders, as though it wasn’t that big of a deal, “I just never liked the stuff. I drink it from time to time. Special occasions mostly, but after growing up around it I sort of grew to dislike it.” Obi-wan couldn’t help the way his eyes darted towards Anakin in concern. He only knew about Anakin’s past through Roman, and the little bit that Anakin talked about during their car rides home, which meant both men didn’t give him much to work with. 

Anakin kept his eyes trained on his plate until a few seconds went by and Obi-wan had yet to pick up his fork to continue eating. As though sensing that Obi-wan was still looking at him, Anakin lifted his gaze to meet Obi-wan head on. He frowned when he saw Obi-wan looking at him sadly.

“That right there is why I don’t tell people anything,” Anakin stated with a hint of disdain towards Obi-wan for being just like everybody else.

“I apologize Anakin, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Anakin’s only response was to shrug his shoulders again and take another forkful of food. He seemed to shrug his shoulders a lot whenever he didn’t want to discuss something. Obi-wan decided to change subjects.

“Where did you learn to cook,” he asked instead. 

At this Anakin’s face softened, “my mom. She learned something new whenever she had a moment to herself. She was always giving me something to try when I was growing up. Until…well…you know,” Anakin looked down at his plate once more, his lips pulled down in a frown, when just moments ago it had been warm and friendly. Obi-wan knew enough not to press Anakin for details just yet. Obi-wan wanted to ask what exactly happened the night Anakin’s mother died but now was not the right time. If nothing else, Obi-wan wanted to wrap Anakin up in his arms and comfort him, but he held himself in check. 

“Have you ever cooked for other people?” Obi-wan didn’t know why he asked this, but the answer to this question suddenly seemed particularly important. Anakin seemed startled by his question as he peered at Obi-wan with a surprised expression, “a few times for Roman…I think…only when it’s been a late night at the club, I’ll cook for him then. Especially when he stays overnight at my apartment.

Obi-wan choked on his water. Spluttering slightly as he placed the napkin towards his mouth, Anakin laughed at him which crinkled the skin around his eyes in quiet glee. 

“Boy, it really doesn’t take much to make you think the worst of Roman does it?” 

“Can you blame me,” Obi-wan retorted, unable to keep the sternness out of his voice.

Anakin kept laughing at him as he continued to eat what was left on his plate.

“I think you need to know…something about your brother…” Anakin hesitated as he waited for Obi-wan’s reaction, but he didn’t say anything, letting Anakin continue. Whatever it was he was about to say, it seemed important and Obi-wan didn’t want to be rude.

“He’s not…you know he’s not as bad as you make him out to be…right? I mean…I just mean that he’s done a lot for me and never asks for anything in return,” Anakin paused as Obi-wan scoffed at his words.

“He doesn’t! He was the one who helped me one night and changed my life around. You have to know that!” Anakin suddenly stood up and dragged his chair closer to Obi-wan’s. Obi-wan stopped eating and swallowed what was left in his mouth before turning his full attention to the suddenly anxious man in front of him. 

“Please Obi-wan…you need to know that Roman isn’t as bad as people make him out to be. He doesn’t get involved in certain…illicit activities…like people think he does. Not the ones you’re probably thinking of…I mean he’s involved in some bad things…but not _bad bad_ you know?” Anakin sounded so desperate to have Obi-wan believe him, Obi-wan could only nod his head in understanding as Anakin placed a hand on top of his and waited for him to say something. 

Obi-wan could only think of one thing to say. “What was it you were doing the night my brother _changed your life_ as you put it,” Obi-wan questioned.

At this, Anakin looked away and gave a deep sigh as he moved his hand away from Obi-wan’s and ran it through his curls. Looking out their large windows, Anakin took a few moments to gather himself. “I’m not saying Roman isn’t involved in things he probably shouldn’t be…I’m just saying he saw me in a bad situation and helped me out. Since then he’s protected me, and I am always grateful for that.”

“What kind of bad situation.” Obi-wan whispered. He was desperate to know but at the same time he was afraid of Anakin’s answer. Anakin simply looked back at him with sad eyes and said, “a drug deal about to go bad.”

“ _Anakin…_ ” Obi-wan murmured in shock. He was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? He knew Anakin had a past and he knew first-hand Roman did, so it would make perfect sense to assume that was how Roman and Anakin had met. However, that didn’t mean Obi-wan had to like it. In fact, it made him want to take care of Anakin even more. Protect him from the monsters of his past, as well as the monsters currently in his life.

“Please don’t feel differently towards me,” Anakin uttered as he watched the different emotions cross over Obi-wan’s face. Upon hearing Anakin’s worried tone, Obi-wan immediately schooled his features and reached out towards him so that he could take both of his hands in his. Giving them a comforting squeeze, he tried to calm Anakin’s racing thoughts as he felt the soft skin below his fingertips. 

“I would never think poorly of you dear one,” Obi-wan said sincerely. At the endearment Anakin seemed to melt into his chair.

“Thank you,” Anakin murmured. 

Seeing that Anakin looked better, Obi-wan moved to release his hands but was unable to do so. Startled, Obi-wan glanced up at Anakin and found him looking back at him with an expression that Obi-wan had never seen before. This was not a look he had ever seen on Anakin’s face while he worked with him, nor was it a look he’d seen when he’d first gotten to know Anakin at his brother’s club. This intense look was something entirely different altogether and Obi-wan knew he wanted to see more of it. At least that was what his heart was currently screaming at him, but Obi-wan’s brain quickly told it to _shut up_ , so Obi-wan was left with a flutter in his chest as Anakin squeezed his hands tighter. 

“ _Obi-wan…_ ” Anakin whispered, and Obi-wan couldn’t help but look down to watch as Anakin’s hands seemed to engulf his in his warm palms. Obi-wan was always surprised at just how strong Anakin was when he didn’t draw attention to it. Overwhelmed by what was happening, Obi-wan quickly slid his hands out from under Anakin’s before the other man could stop him. Trying to find something to do with himself, he quickly picked up his fork and began poking at the food that was still on his plate, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

Obi-wan cleared his throat and gave a tight smile in Anakin’s direction, who was looking at him with a confused, somewhat hurt expression.

“I appreciate you telling me that Anakin. Now…how…how about we finish our meal so that we can get back to work and get this speech done once and for all,” Obi-wan didn’t know why he was saying this. It was clear Anakin wanted to touch him, but at this very moment Obi-wan was beyond nervous. Before he could say anything more, Anakin slid his chair back in front of his plate and slowly picked up his fork, like he had just been disciplined by a parent. After a brief pause, Anakin threw his fork back on the table, pushed his chair back forcibly, and threw his napkin onto his plate. 

“I think I’m done with supper for now thanks,” he said haughtily.

Obi-wan raised both eyebrows in surprise. Taken aback by Anakin’s tone, yet somewhat amused by the sudden outburst of emotion.

“I’m sorry?”

Anakin seemed to be lost in thought as he took a sip of water from his glass before placing it onto the table with a loud _thunk_ , “I just think…I think I’m needed at the club tonight. Sorry…I can help you with things tomorrow…” Anakin started to walk away towards the front door.

“Anakin! Anakin wait! Please…” Obi-wan was halfway out of his chair when Anakin froze upon hearing his words. Obi-wan moved quickly so that he was now standing in front of the tall man, deliberately blocking his path. He didn’t want Anakin to leave when it was obvious his reaction towards him moments ago had upset him. Judging from his face alone, Obi-wan knew he had to be incredibly careful with what he said next. Anakin wasn’t about to give him another chance.

_Another chance at what_ Obi-wan was less sure about, but he knew he needed to make Anakin feel better. “I’m sorry if I have offended you Anakin,” Obi-wan said sincerely. 

Anakin’s eyes darted away as his hands remained clenched at his sides, obviously trying to find the right way to communicate what he was feeling. Anakin gave a deep sigh, and suddenly all of the fight seemed to leave him like dandelion seeds being carried away in a soft breeze. Obi-wan saw a calmer expression appear on Anakin’s handsome face as he peered at Obi-wan once more.

“It’s…it’s nothing Obi-wan…sorry. I guess talking about…,” Anakin shrugged his shoulders.

“Talking about your mom,” Obi-wan questioned. He could understand why that might be a sensitive topic. After a moment Anakin said quietly, “ _sure…_ ” even though he didn’t sound too confident in his answer, but Obi-wan wasn’t about to push him. 

“Well, I promise you we won’t discuss such things for the rest of the evening. Are you willing to stay for a bit more,” Obi-wan tried to sound chipper as he continued to process the events of the last few minutes. He couldn’t think of any reason good enough for Anakin’s strong reaction. If it had anything to do with their friendly hand holding, Obi-wan was sure he was reading too much into things. In all honesty, he had been accused of overthinking things by Qui-gon on numerous occasions. Qui-gon would always remind Obi-wan with a smile in his voice that he thought too much and needed to take a break from that head of his. So that was what Obi-wan was trying to do, and yet it seemed to be creating more trouble than it was worth based on Anakin’s pinched expression and tight body language. 

Speaking of Qui-gon, _where was that man_? Obi-wan hadn’t seen him for a couple of days and was starting to get worried. It wasn’t like him to be radio silent…

As if on cue, Obi-wan could hear his phone vibrate from where it sat at on the dining room table. Obi-wan made to go towards it but thought against it. He needed to know Anakin’s answer first, “what do you say Anakin? Shall we finish our meal and get back to work?”

For whatever reason, Obi-wan’s words turned Anakin’s mouth into a slight frown. Closing his expressive blue eyes (eyes that Obi-wan had more than once noticed sparkled when he was happy), Anakin simply gave a small sigh as though Obi-wan wasn’t in on a joke that he should have figured out by now, to which Anakin found annoying. 

“Sure Obi. That sounds like a plan,” Anakin replied as he gave a tired smile, one which didn’t quite reach his eyes. Obi-wan was at a loss. He wanted to fix whatever he had done to upset Anakin, but he was giving him no signs to push him in the right direction. He was sure now that talking about Anakin’s mom hadn’t been what upset him the most, but Obi-wan didn’t know how to continue.

“Wonderful…err…let me just go…” Obi-wan pointed towards the table. 

Making his way back over, Obi-wan quickly picked up his phone to distract himself from what just took place. His heart was hammering in his chest now that he thought about it, and his hands were slightly shaking, as though he had had too much caffeine. Obi-wan opened up his phone and saw that the text was indeed from Qui-gon. It looked like he was going to have another late night at the office. That was three nights in a row now! Obi-wan knew mid-terms were coming up, but it wasn’t like Qui-gon to spend late nights at work anymore. Obi-wan instantly sent a text back. 

_Another late night of marking?_

Qui-gon’s reply was immediate, as though he had been waiting for Obi-wan’s response.

_Yes. I also need some time to write down my thoughts about an upcoming article I’m doing. Don’t want to toss and turn all night when I know you need to focus on what’s ahead…_

Obi-wan smiled warmly at his friend’s thoughtfulness.

_You know this is your home too Qui. I’m sure you won’t keep me up._

_I think I just need some space for tonight._

That statement alone concerned Obi-wan immediately.

_Is everything alright?_

_Yes Obi. I promise. Everything is fine. Night._

Obi-wan frowned at his phone before turning it off and placing it back on the table. In a typical nervous gesture, Obi-wan stroked his beard before placing his hand to his mouth and staring deeply into space. Something seemed off about Qui-gon, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Everything seemed alright the last time they had dinner together and spent the evening doing their usual routine. Even with the somewhat tricky conversation they had had back in their kitchen regarding Roman, things seemed to have ended well. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. 

What was it then?

As though sensing his inner turmoil, Anakin came over towards Obi-wan and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Everything okay?”

Obi-wan turned his head so that he could look at Anakin, who seemed to be out of whatever mood he had been in a few moments ago and was now back to his usual warm, friendly self. Obi-wan took a moment to appreciate the warmth of Anakin’s hand on his body.

“Everything is fine Anakin, thank you. It looks like Qui-gon isn’t coming home tonight, so if you wish you can use his bedroom to sleep in if you think it will be too late for you to travel back into Coruscant.”

Anakin’s face showed surprise at Obi-wan’s words, “that’s not like Qui-gon to spend the night at work.”

“No…no it’s not. But I’m afraid he’s determined to do so tonight, so the offer stands,” Obi-wan moved away from Anakin and began cleaning up their dishes, knowing full well they would not go back to eating their meal now, which had gone cold.

“I would love that,” Anakin said hastily, which startled Obi-wan, but he was glad Anakin was going to stay. It would be nice knowing Qui-gon’s cold and dark bedroom was being used.

“Wonderful! Then let’s get back to it,” Obi-wan turned towards the kitchen lost in thought, unaware that Anakin watched him go with a longing look.

A few hours later Anakin yawned loudly as he closed his laptop, “that’s enough for me tonight. It’s got to be past midnight by now,” looking at his watch Anakin frowned.

“Make that past one o’clock… _shit_ …” Anakin rubbed his face vigorously with his hands before standing up from the couch, slapping his cheeks to keep himself awake. Obi-wan took off his glasses and checked the clock sitting on the fireplace mantel. Sure enough, it was well past one o’clock and they had a big day ahead of them tomorrow. It was time to call it quits.

“Don’t worry about cleaning anything up. I can worry about that come morning,” Obi-wan stated as Anakin moved towards their papers to put things away. Obi-wan stood up from his chair, wincing slightly as his lower back pulled. _Getting old sucked_ he lamented to himself as Anakin stood in the middle of the room, waiting for Obi-wan to finish and show him where his bedroom would be for the night. Walking around swiftly, Obi-wan began to turn off lights and tuck things away until the morning. Turning off the front porch light last, Obi-wan turned only to find Anakin a few feet away from him. In the darkness it was harder to see Anakin’s facial expressions, but Obi-wan could tell that he was relaxed and calm, which made Obi-wan’s heart flutter again in his chest.

If he and Anakin had meant something more to one another, it would almost seem like he was taking Anakin up to his bedroom so they could spend the night together. But that wasn’t what was happening at all, and out of nowhere Obi-wan was struck with the same longing he had experienced in the past. He had felt this same heady, overwhelming sensation many times before, but now with Anakin standing in the dark, moonlight dusting his golden head, eyes sparkling at him, Obi-wan felt this longing stronger than usual. Obi-wan looked away and cleared his throat as he made his way towards Anakin, who seemed to be completely unaware of his inner thoughts.

“Room is to your left, second door down,” Obi-wan said quietly as he placed his hand on the bannister and began to make his way up the stairs, Anakin closely behind.

“It’s hard to see with all the lights off,” Anakin chuckled and Obi-wan was glad he said something because he had thought it was just him and his eyesight being fifteen years older than Anakin’s.

“Just be ready to catch me if I trip up these stairs and topple backwards,” Obi-wan joked. 

“I’ll catch you if you fall,” Anakin said softly. Once again, Obi-wan didn’t know if what Anakin said was meant to sound flirty or not, but Obi-wan had to grip the wood beneath his hand even harder as his thoughts kept going back to him falling backwards into Anakin’s strong arms. Obi-wan thankfully made it to the top of the stairs without incident and only turned around to say goodnight to Anakin once he knew he wasn’t behind him anymore but safely beside him in the hallway. Taking a step back to give himself some distance, Obi-wan pointed to Qui-gon’s bedroom door, “it’s that one there Anakin.”

Anakin turned his head in the dark to see where Obi-wan was pointing. Anakin turned back around and took a step closer to Obi-wan, “thank you Obi-wan.” Anakin hesitated for a moment before moving in a tiny bit closer and adding in a whisper, “sweet dreams.” Anakin’s breath graced Obi-wan’s ear as he placed a gentle kiss on Obi-wan’s cheek before turning around swiftly and making his way to Qui-gon’s door. Without looking back, he opened the door and snuck inside, closing it gently behind him.

Obi-wan stared dumbly at the closed door. Touching his cheek with gentle fingertips, Obi-wan’s eyes widened as he felt the imprint of Anakin’s lips, which seemed to make him tingle all over. Maybe Obi-wan wasn’t reading too much into Anakin’s words after all…and if that was the case…maybe it was time for him to listen to his heart rather than his head and do something about it. 


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan and Anakin finally get on the same page. Roman has a few surprises come through his door at the club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter needed to be written as everyone gets closer to what they want. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Anakin was on cloud nine. 

He couldn’t have imagined a better way to start the day than waking up at Obi-wan and Qui-gon’s cottage, snuggled quite comfortably in Qui-gon’s bed, sunshine peeking in slowly through the blinds, feeling well rested and refreshed. Anakin burrowed his face in the spare pillow he had found in Qui-gon’s closet the night before, smiling as he thought about the night before and how he had parted with Obi-wan. Anakin felt anticipation settle over him as he thought about the night before and all that had transpired, hoping that today would go better. 

All Anakin wanted to do was act on one of his many daydreams and enter Obi-wan’s bedroom, sit on the edge of his bed, lean in and kiss him until he awoke. But alas, those were just his daydreams, and ones he now struggled thinking would ever happen because whenever he tried to flirt, it never went as well as he had hoped. Obi-wan either got flustered or impatient, and would react quickly by ignoring what was right in front of him. Anakin thought back to the night before when he had felt brave enough to take Obi-wan’s hands in his own, only to have Obi-wan pull his hands away as though he couldn’t bear the thought of Anakin touching him. Anakin hoped that wasn’t the case, but he had to be sure. 

It had been an exceedingly long time since Anakin had felt so light-hearted and excited around someone. Normally, Anakin rejected people’s advances and resented it when people automatically assumed he would like it. He was used to people looking at him a certain way based on how he looked, which was why Anakin liked Obi-wan. He never treated him as just a pretty face. He respected his opinion and genuinely seemed to enjoy his company. The more Anakin got to know Obi-wan the more he was becoming enamoured with him. He wanted to be an important person in Obi-wan’s life. He wanted to be the person Obi-wan talked to for ideas, he wanted to be the person Obi-wan laughed with, who he cried and got angry with. He wanted… _God help him_ …he wanted to be the man Obi-wan went home with at the end of the night. 

Anakin was finally beginning to hope that his life was starting to turn around. It had been on a steady upturn since Roman had found him that fateful evening, but as with everything, good things took time.

But Anakin was beginning to feel anticipation for his future. 

These thoughts buoyed Anakin up as he prepared a small breakfast for the two of them and then got ready for the day. Obi-wan refused to let Anakin make supper for him, so the least he could do was make some toast and eggs. Wearing the same clothes he had been wearing the night before, Anakin did his best to tidy up. Going back down to the kitchen, Anakin was happy to see that Obi-wan had eaten the breakfast he had prepared for him and had neatly put all the dishes away. Anakin waited patiently for Obi-wan by the front odor until the other man was ready to leave. The car ride to Obi-wan’s campaign office was somewhat awkward, but it didn’t take long for the two of them to start talking and fall back into their usual banter, which pleased Anakin enormously. However, something seemed to be a little bit different. Not anything terrible, but Anakin couldn’t help but notice the sideway glances Obi-wan kept directing at him, and the way he seemed to keep shifting in his seat as though something was bothering him. Anakin was ready to tease him but thought better of it.

It wasn’t until Anakin was getting ready to leave the car that he heard Obi-wan say, “Anakin, may I have a moment,” before unbuckling his seatbelt and turning fully towards him. Anakin stopped himself from opening the car door and waited patiently for Obi-wan to continue. He was hopeful Obi-wan wasn’t about to apologize for anything because he had done nothing wrong. Or worse, tell him he no longer wanted him to work with his team because Anakin had made him feel awkward. 

“You were honest with me last night Anakin, so I thought I should do the same before we go in there,” Obi-wan pointed towards his building which was across the street from them.

“There’s no need to do that Obi-wan…” Anakin stopped talking when Obi-wan cut him off with, “it’s important I say this Anakin. Otherwise, I’m afraid I won’t be able to concentrate for the rest of the day.”

“Alright,” mumbled Anakin, who was nervous now for Obi-wan to continue.

“I need you to know that I thoroughly enjoyed your company last night. Not just with helping with my speech, but in other ways as well.” Anakin was surprised by Obi-wan’s statement, but his heart began to hammer in his chest as Obi-wan’s grey eyes looked at him without blinking.

“I enjoyed your company as well. Always have.”

Obi-wan’s eyes warmed at his words, “I’m glad.”

Anakin couldn’t help the bright smile that came over him. He had begun to fall for Obi-wan so long ago that this statement was enough to keep him going for weeks! His smile must have been blinding as the moment Obi-wan stopped talking he quickly smiled back, eyes displaying a wave of desire that hadn’t been there before. Anakin was so wrapped up in it that he was unprepared for the abrupt movement of Obi-wan, who was all of a sudden in his personal space. Leaning in, Obi-wan fisted one hand into his shirt collar and pressed his lips firmly to his. Anakin let out a startled breath through his nose but closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotion he suddenly felt as Obi-wan wrapped his arms around him and pressed harder against his mouth. Time seemed to stop as Obi-wan pushed harder, but the flutter in Anakin’s chest only intensified. He was glad he was sitting down, for he could feel his legs begin to feel weak as Obi-wan pulled him closer and whimpered against his mouth.

Anakin pulled back slightly to look at Obi-wan’s face, unsure as to what he was about to see, for he certainly wasn’t expecting this! Thankfully, Anakin watched as the other man slowly began to open his eyes as he realized that Anakin had pulled away. Before Obi-wan could open his eyes all the way, Anakin let out a rumble deep within his chest and jerked Obi-wan back into his embrace, capturing his lips once more and messily kissing him, suddenly overcome with want. If this was all Obi-wan was ever going to give him, Anakin was going to take as much as he could get. Obi-wan seemed to feel the same as his hands tightened on Anakin’s shoulders and he opened his mouth, while tilting his head back. Anakin was more than happy to keep taking until his mouth started to become sore from Obi-wan’s scratchy beard.

“Obi-wan…Obi-wan…” Anakin chanted against his mouth, unaware that he was whispering his name over and over, completely overcome by Obi-wan’s actions and being wrapped around him so tightly. Anakin couldn’t believe what was happening. He didn’t want to speak too loudly in case he broke whatever spell had come over them. Obi-wan could only whisper Anakin’s name back against his neck as he brought his mouth down and kissed him gently against his adam’s apple so that he could get some much-needed air.

“I…I…” Obi-wan took a gulp of air and opened his eyes so that he could look at Anakin with an expression of wonder. “I think it’s safe to say we’re on the same page now.” Anakin’s eyes widened at Obi-wan’s words before he burst out laughing. Placing his forehead on Obi-wan’s shoulder he felt Obi-wan begin to shake beneath him as he too started to chuckle.

“Took you long enough,” Anakin snorted against his shirt, rubbing his nose against it to try and memorize his smell for the rest of the day. 

“Uh-huh,” Obi-wan sighed as he kissed Anakin’s temple before shifting them so they could reposition themselves and begin to make themselves somewhat presentable. Anakin protested slightly, but Obi-wan silenced him with another kiss, running his hands through his hair to try and make it less unruly. Anakin watched closely as Obi-wan’s eyes ran over his hair, completely engrossed in the task of taming Anakin’s curls. Anakin’s heart twisted wildly in his chest. “Did what just happen actually happen, or am I dreaming?” Obi-wan’s hands stopped what they were doing, grey eyes zeroing in on Anakin’s blue ones.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to realize what you meant to me Anakin. But this is real. Very real.”

“What changed your mind?”

Obi-wan lowered his hands and took Anakin’s hands in his own, much like they had done the night before. “Let’s just say Qui-gon didn’t have to worry about keeping me up all night. I did that all by myself tossing and turning, thinking about you…what it felt like having you around…what you were trying to say to me…what transpired between us last night.”

Anakin looked down at their joined hands, suddenly shy at Obi-wan’s words. All he could do was speak honestly, “I’m glad you thought things through and came to the right conclusion.” 

“Let me take you out for dinner tonight,” Obi-wan asked quietly. Anakin could only nod dumbly as he leaned in one more time to place his lips against Obi-wan’s and gather more of his taste into his mouth. Anakin whined as Obi-wan cupped his cheek with his hand, making Anakin feel more content than he had for ages. They stayed like that for a few minutes until they finally moved away from one another to go to work. For the rest of the day Anakin felt as though he were floating on air. He was completely, totally, deliriously happy and nothing could make him feel differently. He could only hope that Obi-wan felt the same way, and luckily each time he looked over at Obi-wan he saw Obi-wan looking at him and giving him a soft smile as if to say _I can’t believe what just happened. I feel the same. I want you too._

As Anakin was getting ready to leave for the day and make his way over to the club to help Roman with a few bookkeeping issues, Obi-wan made his way over to him and without anyone noticing, took his hand. 

“Dinner at seven okay?”

Anakin gave Obi-wan’s hand a squeeze, “sounds perfect.”

Obi-wan smiled softly and then let go of his hand as Satine came by to ask him a question. Anakin knew Obi-wan wouldn’t want others to know they were going out for dinner together, so he didn’t mind when Obi-wan moved away from him as he turned towards Satine instead. Making his way past Mace Windu as he said goodnight to everyone, Anakin saluted him with a smirk as he walked by, causing the other man to sneer before waving him goodnight. Anakin could only chuckle to himself as he began to walk his usual path from Obi-wan’s campaign office to Roman’s club. It was a walk he loved to take on most days, and after what had transpired today, Anakin needed a few moments with himself to clear his racing thoughts. An hour later, Anakin found himself in his usual spot behind the desk at Roman’s club, feeling much better after his walk to work.

Anakin was writing down some information for Roman when he heard shouts and loud voices. Suddenly, the sounds of fists hitting flesh could be heard right behind the red velvet curtains. Anakin stopped moving his pen so he could focus on what was happening. He was used to things sometimes going bad at the club, but he was a little shocked when the curtains opened and a man in his late fifties was flung through them by none other than Roman and Victor. The man landed on the ground in a lump, and Anakin couldn’t help but flinch a little bit when the man turned his face towards Anakin, showing a face full of blood and what looked like broken teeth.

“Get out of my club you piece of shit,” Roman snarled at the man, charging at him as the man slowly got up to his knees. Obviously, he wasn’t going fast enough for Roman’s liking, as he looked over at Victor and made a slicing motion with his finger against his neck. Anakin had no clue what the signal meant, for Roman didn’t use such signals with him, but Victor obviously did for he reached for the man and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. He picked him up as though he weighed nothing, and as the man began to protest, threw him out the front door, spewing him out onto the cold pavement below.

Victor closed the door behind him, readjusting his shirt before looking at Roman once more with a serious glance, “you good now boss?”

Roman looked towards the ceiling and gave a dramatic sigh as he said, “I suppose.”

“What happened,” Anakin questioned. It was rare for Roman to be so blatantly obvious with violence in front of Anakin, as more often than not people Roman didn’t like…or needed to get rid of…were sent out the back door, not near the front where Anakin would see, let alone anybody else. 

“Sorry about that baby bird,” Roman looked towards Anakin and brought his hands up as though raising them in a prayer. “I don’t know what came over me!”

Anakin looked at Victor who just shrugged his shoulders as though he didn’t know what had made Roman react in such a way. Roman must have seen this exchange for he quickly placed his hands on his hips and scoffed, “oh please, it’s not like this is new. That asshole had it coming.”

“What did he do,” Anakin asked. Roman waved his arms around as he began to talk.

“He thought he could sit in MY club, watch MY dancers and then throw a drink in one of my worker’s faces when he didn’t like the taste of it,” Roman stated, almost daring Anakin to say he had been in the wrong and shouldn’t have thrown the man out. Anakin knew it would be best to agree with Roman at this moment in time, especially when he got into one of his moods.

“That’s happened before. Usually you just throw a handful of bills at them, tell them to go fuck themselves, and go on your merry way,” Victor crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Roman with the same weary gaze as Anakin. “So, what’s changed?”

Roman stopped moving altogether and looked away to sneer at the ground. Placing his hands on his hips, Roman began to tap his foot against the floor, moving with an energy that seemed to be finding numerous ways to try and escape. “Nothing’s changed. I just don’t like being ignored,” he whispered.

“Ignored? Ignored by who?” Anakin asked. He was confused by Roman’s response. What was he talking about? Glancing at Victor, Anakin saw the same perplexed expression on his face. Roman took a deep breath before he began to make his way towards Anakin and Victor. Leaning against the counter Roman just shrugged his shoulders, moving his hand in a gesture that indicated he was blowing off what he had just said. “Doesn’t matter,” he said nonchalantly, even though upon closer inspection Anakin could see the pinched expression around Roman’s eyes. Inexplicably Anakin was worried for him. “Roman…what are…” before Anakin could finish his sentence the front doors to the club opened again and a man in a long black coat came in, with an air of superiority. 

“Good evening gentlemen,” Palpatine said in a casual tone. “I see you’ve had a busy evening so far Roman,” Palpatine raised an eyebrow as he glanced towards the front doors which were still closing, to reveal the man Victor had kicked out a few moments ago still lying on the ground.

Roman didn’t say anything but straightened slightly as he watched Palpatine take off his coat and place it on his arm as though waiting for someone to greet him. Anakin knew he should offer to take Palpatine’s coat but based on Roman’s current mood he wasn’t sure if that would be a good choice. Anakin shifted on his stool as he waited for Roman to do more than stare. But Palpatine’s gaze turned towards Anakin the moment he moved. 

“My dear Anakin! It is so good to see you my boy,” Palpatine smiled cordially. Anakin couldn’t help but smile back. Palpatine may be a bit intense at times, but he was always good to Anakin, despite what Roman thought. However, Anakin also knew that if Palpatine became Senator instead of Obi-wan, the city of Coruscant would be worse off. Palpatine didn’t seem to have a lot of other people’s interests at heart, particularly those who he felt were beneath him. Obi-wan on the other hand cared about everyone.

Thinking about Obi-wan, Anakin felt excitement begin to rise as he thought about the other man and what had happened earlier that day.

“I haven’t seen you around as much Anakin, is school keeping you busy,” Palpatine questioned, trying to keep Anakin’s attention on him. “I’ve been keeping him busy,” Roman responded before Anakin could get a word in edgewise. Palpatine looked at Roman with a surprised glance before saying, “I hope he’s not kept you too busy my boy.”

Anakin laughed and shook his head, “no, it’s been fine. I’ve been busy with school and working with Obi-wan’s campaign. It’s all good.” Anakin heard Roman give a quiet puff of displeasure as he shifted more towards the front of the desk, slowly blocking Anakin from Palpatine’s view. Anakin had the distinct impression he just said something he shouldn’t have.

If possible, Palpatine’s eyebrows raised further up into his hairline as he stared at Roman with a cool look. “Obi-wan! Well…that is surprising.” Anakin opened his mouth to clarify when Roman beat him to it once again. “I thought it would be a good idea for Anakin to understand politics. You know how it is Palps.”

Victor gave a quiet snort at the nickname, which caused Palpatine to frown at Roman unamused. 

“Be that as it may…but Obi-wan? Really? That man won’t show you the first thing about how politics run around here my dear Anakin. He’s too soft to get into the thick of things.”

Anakin felt his face warm at Palpatine’s words. He didn’t know Obi-wan at all if he thought Obi-wan would just stand by and let things slide. “That’s not true. I’ve already seen Obi-wan attacking hard issues and talking to any anybody who has a question.”

Roman gave a boisterous laugh, “as you can see Anakin is already learning the art of politics! A willing ear and a mouth that shoots out promises is all you need to win in this town,” Anakin snapped his mouth shut. He was surprised to hear such words coming out of Roman’s mouth, even if they had to do with his brother. He truly didn’t believe that did he? Palpatine just waved his hand in dismissal, “think nothing of it dear boy. I just find it amusing that you Anakin, who is so alive and full of spirit, is working with one of the dullest men I have ever had the displeasure of knowing,”

“He doesn’t seem that dull to me,” Anakin stated firmly. He was getting tired of people tarnishing the name of the person he had his heart set on. But it was becoming more and more apparent as the seconds ticked by that Anakin would have to keep that information to himself and not even share it with Roman based on what he had just said.

“Oh, I didn’t mean any harm Anakin. I just know Obi-wan fairly well and remember him in his younger years making his way through the ranks of the council. He was smart, I’ll give you that. But he also knew how his words could affect people, and what a flirtatious glance could do to win him votes,” Palpatine smirked at Anakin and Roman as he said this. “Don’t you agree Roman?”

Roman just rolled his eyes, “my brother is many things.”

“A gratuitous flirt being one of them I assure you,” Palpatine laughed. “In fact, there were many times he would be in the company of certain young council men or women, who maybe didn’t vote to his liking or didn’t see things his way, only to have them change their minds…as if out of the blue…” Anakin could feel his chest constrict painfully at this. It must have shown on his face as Victor cleared his throat, bringing Roman’s attention towards him. A few seconds later Roman’s eyes darted towards Anakin before standing up straighter than before and firmly saying, “I don’t think our young Anakin needs to hear about that Palpatine. He seems to look at Obi-wan through rose colored glasses these days,” Anakin inwardly winced as Roman spoke.

“Well, I won’t say anymore on the matter,” Palpatine reached out and patted Anakin’s hand in what was meant to be a comforting gesture, but with the inner turmoil that was currently going on in Anakin’s head from Palpatine’s words, he couldn’t help but think back to Obi-wan and his comforting and gentle touch earlier that morning. But now Anakin couldn’t help but wonder if Obi-wan was doing exactly what Palpatine had accused him of to other people. People that Anakin maybe knew. People on his campaign team. People like him…maybe even him. 

Anakin couldn’t help but feel his insecurities begin to resurface. No…he knew Obi-wan better than that…he knew when somebody was using him or being fake. Thanks to his past, he was more than aware, and Obi-wan had been nothing but genuine towards him. He was being silly…he was just nervous about tonight and the potential that Obi-wan and he had for a future relationship… 

“Let’s go into the back room and discuss how things are going,” Palpatine gestured towards the curtains, to which Victor moved from his spot and brought one of them back so that Palpatine could enter. Anakin knew Roman had to listen to Palpatine from time to time so that he could keep afloat of the inner workings of Coruscant, but watching his boss and Palpatine together made Anakin uncomfortable tonight, especially after their words against Obi-wan. 

“Yes! Let’s go,” Roman clapped his hands together twice, suddenly giddy with excitement. Upon turning back towards Anakin, he gave him a firm look as if to say _we will talk about this later_. Before Anakin could respond by telling Roman he wouldn’t be there to have his little chat, Anakin’s phone buzzed. Reaching into his carrier bag, Anakin took out his phone and saw a text message from Obi-wan. Anakin’s face softened as he took in Obi-wan’s name on his screen. The man wasn’t even here, and he was saving him. Opening up his phone, Anakin read Obi-wan’s text and immediately his heart fell.

_I’m so sorry Anakin, but things are a bit hectic around here. Can we put off supper until tomorrow?_

Anakin could feel his eyes begin to sting as he took in Obi-wan’s words. The man had no way of knowing what had just taken place regarding his character, but the fact that Obi-wan was displaying behaviour that Palpatine himself had just criticized him of moments ago made Anakin swallow hard against the lump in his throat, before shutting his phone with more force than necessary and stuffing it back into his carrier bag. Anakin couldn’t look up for fear that Roman or Victor would see the disappointment written on his face. Before Anakin could process things any further, the door to the club opened again and in walked a tall, handsome man who Anakin did not recognize at first glance until he met his eyes and saw the same warm smile that he had seen a week ago. Anakin’s eyes widened in surprise. This was unexpected!

Qui-gon entered the club and smiled at Anakin as he turned his head towards him and reached out his hand in greeting. Anakin lifted himself off of his stool to take Qui-gon’s coat when Roman blurted out rather softly, “Qui-gon?”

Both Qui-gon and Anakin stopped what they were doing as they took in Roman’s bewildered expression and awkward stance, as though he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. Placing his hands behind his back, Roman finally seemed content to stay still for more than five seconds, waiting for Qui-gon’s response. Anakin was unsure as to what was happening, but he waited as Qui-gon said, “hello Roman.” Anakin was a bit surprised to hear the emotionless way Qui-gon said Roman’s name. This seemed to bother Roman as well, as he took two quick steps towards Qui-gon before firmly stopping, eyes expressing disappointment. Seeing his reaction, Qui-gon opened his mouth as though he were about to say something when he thought better of it and turned to Anakin instead, “Obi-wan tells me you are doing well at his campaign office.”

Anakin glanced at Roman, watching his face, before turning to Qui-gon. He could only shuffle his feet and nod in agreement, “yup!”

_Brilliant…_

“My goodness Qui-gon is that really you,” everybody froze and turned towards Palpatine as he came towards Anakin and Qui-gon and reached out a hand to give Qui-gon a firm handshake. “Hello Palpatine, nice to see you again,” Qui-gon said kindly. Anakin had the distinct impression that Qui-gon was lying through his teeth, but he wasn’t letting anybody think otherwise.

“How do _YOU TWO_ know one another,” Roman shouted. Anakin pressed his lips together so as not to laugh at Roman’s tone. He sounded almost hysterical! 

“Palpatine and I worked at the same University together years ago. I was new and Palpatine was a bit of a mentor to those just starting out. He worked there for a couple of years before moving on to more political aspirations,” Qui-gon spoke gently as though trying to keep the situation as calm as possible. Roman covered his eyes with his hands before dramatically flinging his arms up in the air and turning towards Victor who was staring at him as though he didn’t quite understand Roman’s level of frustration.

“Still working at the University,” Palpatine asked, ignoring Roman’s dramatics as usual. 

“Yes, in the Economics department.”

“I see you’ve written some papers and newspaper articles about consumerism and the need for revamped trade polices. Very beautifully written might I add,” Palpatine leered at Qui-gon as though he admired him for his work but wasn’t too keen on his ideas. Qui-gon nodded his head in thanks, “I appreciate that. If you become Senator, I’ll be sure to send you a copy of my latest article coming out in a few months about employment.”

Palpatine laughed heartily, “I would love to read it!”

Anakin doubted it.

“Is Obi-wan keeping you entertained with the current political race?”

Qui-gon’s shoulders seemed to tense slightly, “Obi and I share many excellent conversations. Politics are just one of them.”

“Indeed,” Palpatine’s voice became smooth as silk as he stared at Qui-gon, who continued to possess a calm demeanour while speaking confidently about Obi-wan. At that very moment, Anakin couldn’t have been happier that Qui-gon had entered their club. For what purpose he had absolutely no idea, but it took his mind off his current predicament, which helped. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin watched as Roman rubbed his forehead and said with an exasperated tone, “well this is bloody boring. Let’s move towards the back shall we Palpatine?” Roman made a move towards the curtain, which Victor was still holding open. Victor had the same curious expression on his face as Anakin had throughout the entire exchange. Roman was acting weird…not quite himself…and Anakin didn’t know why, except for the fact that maybe he was irked by what Anakin had said earlier regarding Obi-wan’s campaign.

“Err…umm, I didn’t expect you to be so busy tonight. I’ll come back another time,” Qui-gon nodded his head in farewell when Roman said rather shrilly, “no you won’t! Stay right there. Anakin, make sure he doesn’t leave!” Anakin’s eyes widened as he watched Roman point a finger at the two of them, demanding to be paid attention to. Regardless of his smaller stature, Roman could be intimidating when he wanted to be.

“Alright alright,” Anakin said quickly. Qui-gon shuffled slightly as though unsure of what he should do with his tall, muscular frame after hearing Roman’s demand. 

“Yes…what are you doing here Qui-gon,” Palpatine spoke with a calm air, choosing to still ignore Roman and Qui-gon’s exchange, but it was obvious he was curious. Anakin had the same question, so he was glad somebody asked it. “I…I uh…” Qui-gon gave a shaky laugh. “I’m here to help Anakin with some course work. Ever since he started working for Obi-wan’s campaign I thought it would be a good idea to teach him some basic economics.” 

Anakin shook his head in agreement until it registered on him what Qui-gon had just said.

Wait… _what_?

Roman began to chew his thumb. “Yup, well you go and help Ani over there and I’ll just finish up with Palps,” Roman quickly moved forward and ushered Palpatine and Victor through the red velvet curtains before closing them firmly behind him, but not before he glanced at Qui-gon one more time as though he didn’t trust that he was actually there. Once they were gone, Qui-gon slowly turned his head towards Anakin who couldn’t help but look at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Teaching me basic economics? What is going on Qui-gon?”

Qui-gon just shook his head, “when I know the answer to that I’ll be sure to let you know,” he gave a small laugh, but it sounded almost forced. Anakin decided to change the subject. Obi-wan seemed to be a safe topic, so he ventured forward. “Obi-wan missed you last night.” That was obviously the wrong thing to say as Anakin’s words seemed to bother Qui-gon. He closed his eyes and rubbed a hand against them as though he were suddenly very tired.

“Yes, I’m sure he did. I’ve been spending some nights alone at the office and haven’t been home. I’m afraid Obi-wan blames himself when there is no need to.” Anakin didn’t say anything because he agreed with Qui-gon. Regardless of Obi-wan just breaking off their dinner engagement, he still wanted Qui-gon to know how much he had hurt him. “He misses your company,” Anakin added. Qui-gon looked at Anakin and smiled fondly at him, “I know he does. Thank you for looking out for him Anakin.” Anakin didn’t know if that was really worth thanking him for, but Qui-gon seemed genuine in his thanks.

“I’m not going anywhere for a bit, so you’re welcome to stick around here if you wish,” Anakin ignored the flutter of anxiety that formed in his stomach at the mention of not going anywhere. He had plans with Obi-wan, but that seemed to be going nowhere fast, so best not to think about it anymore. Besides, if what Palpatine and Roman had said about Obi-wan were true, best for Anakin to find out now rather than later.

“Thank you Anakin,” Qui-gon moved towards a leather chair that was tucked in the corner and sat down comfortably, while taking a look around. If memory served Anakin correctly, he had never ventured into _Black Mask_ before. Anakin didn’t say anything as Qui-gon quietly looked and smiled to himself as he took in the various aesthetics. Anakin took out the book he had been reading for awhile now and opened it up, quite content to stay in companionable silence with Qui-gon. Anakin didn’t know why, but the man made Anakin feel safe and content without really trying. Anakin was grateful for it as he had a lot of things to process. 

If nothing else, Anakin needed time to convince himself that if nothing worked out between him and Obi-wan, he would try hard not to be too upset about it. Besides, Anakin was used to disappointment.

It would be nothing new. 


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-wan and Palpatine begin the first debate. Afterwards, Obi-wan and Anakin finally share an intimate moment together and Obi-wan realizes just how much Anakin means to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I wrote this. Here goes nothing! As always, feel free to comment if you feel like it. 
> 
> Enjoy :)

Chapter 8

The day of the first debate had arrived. Obi-wan was behind the stage, waiting for his cue to go on with Palpatine, who had yet to arrive. Obi-wan paced back and forth, quietly mumbling to himself as he went through his speech, which he knew now by heart. Out of habit, Obi-wan had his speech written down on paper which he clutched carefully in his hands as he walked the same path back and forth.

Satine was speaking to the media, ensuring viewers at home that they would be able to hear both speeches, while Cody was shaking hands with various people, encouraging them to find their seats. Obi-wan peeked over at Qui-gon over who had joined them shortly after Obi-wan had arrived, and had made his way over to the food table, so he could watch everything going on around him with a careful eye, while enjoying his one and only vice - jelly doughnuts. Obi-wan was sure he would have some entertaining stories for Obi-wan to hear about later on. Obi-wan wasn’t exactly in the right frame of mind to catch any odd behaviours, so he would have to rely on Qui-gon’s natural ability to see all the little nuances and keep him up to date. Catching Obi-wan’s eye, Qui-gon winked and gave him a thumbs up, which made Obi-wan relax a little bit. Qui-gon then pointed behind him, and Obi-wan saw Palpatine waltz in with his entourage, immediately going over to those he knew and those with cameras, schmoozing them to his heart's content.

Obi-wan look back towards his oldest friend and rolled his eyes, which for whatever reason made Qui-gon laugh out loud before taking another doughnut from the food table, carefully observing Palpatine from a distance as he took a big bite. Obi-wan avoided looking at Palpatine and his antics by keeping his back towards the front entrance. Besides, he had been steadily watching the door for the last half hour, waiting for Anakin to arrive ever since he didn’t arrive with Satine or Cody. The fact that he wasn’t there made Obi-wan’s anxiety begin to stir. He hadn’t seen him since yesterday, and even then, their interactions had been fleeting. Everyone had been so busy getting ready for today, that Anakin and Obi-wan had very little time to speak, let alone have time by themselves to discuss anything important. Obi-wan wanted to apologize in person for cancelling their dinner plans the night before and ensure Anakin knew that he was all in when it came to going on a date with him. 

Placing his speech inside his jacket pocket, Obi-wan decided to stop reading. He knew he couldn’t memorize his speech more than he had already. He was as prepared as he would ever be and felt confident going on stage and facing his foe. Besides, it was time for him to talk to other people and make sure everyone on his team had what they needed. Searching the crowd one more time, Obi-wan felt somewhat unsettled when he still didn’t see Anakin’s tall frame amongst everyone else. 

Taking a steadying breath, Obi-wan started to make his way towards Palpatine to shake the other man’s hand before going on stage. Best to show him that there was no animosity on his end, even if he couldn’t say the same for Palpatine. All of a sudden, Obi-wan spotted a familiar figure in the doorway and couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise as Roman sauntered through the door. Taking one long look at his brother, Obi-wan immediately felt underdressed as he took in Roman’s outfit for the day. There was no doubt that he had certainly got dressed up for the occasion! Wearing some sort of emerald green suede suit and pants ensemble and his staple pink sunglasses, Obi-wan looked down at his plain navy-blue suit in comparison and grimaced. Roman’s entire face beamed as he took in everyone in the room, eyes lighting up when he spotted Obi-wan, only to turn back around and bring forward a person who was still loitering by the doorway. It didn’t take long for Obi-wan to recognize Anakin, who for whatever reason looked almost like he didn’t want to be there. As soon as Anakin made his way further into the room, he scooted out from under Roman’s arm and moved over to a petite woman whom Obi-wan had never seen before. Roman let him go with a wave before continuing to walk towards his brother. 

Obi-wan closed his mouth, which had opened just seconds ago to call out to Anakin so that they could chat before he had to go on stage, but based on Anakin’s behaviour, Obi-wan shut it firmly. He couldn’t describe the feeling that was now settling over him as he watched Anakin from afar, except to say he felt…sad. But before he could fixate on anything, Roman sauntered over to Obi-wan and placed his hands on his shoulders, giving him the once over. Seeming dissatisfied by what he saw, he sighed unhappily.

“The next time you have to give a speech baby brother, ask for my help, would you? You can do better,” Obi-wan brushed Roman’s hands off in annoyance. 

“What I’m wearing hardly matters Roman.”

Roman scoffed, “you’re going on television Obi-wan, of course it does. As much as it pains me to say it, you aren’t bad to look at I suppose, so accentuate what you got! The least you could do is add a little pizzazz,” Roman crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, observing Obi-wan once more. Obi-wan was about to ask if he could stop criticizing when Roman seemed to have an idea and took the brightly colored silk puff out of his suit pocket and placed it in Obi-wan’s. Obi-wan looked down as Roman stepped away to observe his work, and even he had to admit the colors looked good against his navy-blue suit. Not that he was going to tell Roman that…

“There. Much better! I’ll leave you to it Obi. Wouldn’t want the cameras to catch us together and make them think we’re actually getting along,” Roman’s mouth twitched, giving Obi-wan a quick smirk before his eyes started travelling around the room once more and seemed to twinkle in delight as he spotted something over Obi-wan’s head. But before Roman could take a step away from him, Obi-wan placed a warning hand on his arm. “You aren’t going to bug Qui-gon are you? I know he’s here and you haven’t seen him since that night at our house, so don’t get any ideas and start playing mind games.” 

Roman just leered at him and placed his sunglasses on the top of his head. “What makes you think I want to play games?”

“Because I know you,” Obi-wan said firmly. “I also know that Qui-gon isn’t interested, so drop it.” Roman just gave him a weird look, which Obi-wan couldn’t quite get a read on, before he moved away without another word. Obi-wan let Roman go. Now that he had said what he needed to say, it was no longer important. Besides, he knew Qui-gon wasn’t interested, so he had nothing to worry about.

Fixing the silk puff a little bit more to his liking, Obi-wan gave in and turned towards Anakin once more. His heart began beating wildly as he spotted the familiar blonde hair standing by Palpatine, who had just placed a congenial hand on Anakin’s shoulder as he spoke. A jolt of jealousy ran through Obi-wan as he watched Palpatine getting closer. Anakin hadn’t spotted him yet, which allowed Obi-wan to observe him unaware. Anakin looked sexy as hell in black pants that covered his long legs and a smart looking purple dress shirt. Wearing nothing but a gold watch at his wrist, Anakin’s simplicity made Obi-wan’s body begin to heat up in approval. So much so that Obi-wan wanted nothing more than to grab hold of him and taste Anakin’s lips again, but he held himself in check. If he were lucky, Anakin would agree to going out with him tonight once the debate was over.

Obi-wan started to make his way towards the two men and didn’t pay much attention to anyone else until he got closer and noticed the same petite, pretty young woman whom he had seen before, arm linked with one of Anakin’s, watching him closely. Obi-wan knew instantly this was someone Anakin cared for as he immediately brought his attention towards her as she elbowed him in the side. Looking at her with a questioning look as she pointed towards Obi-wan, Anakin finally looked his way and saw Obi-wan coming towards them, giving him a weary glance before smiling shyly. Obi-wan knew just by looking at Anakin that something was wrong. It was rare for Anakin not to want to be where the action was, and yet he looked like he wanted to run away the first chance he got. 

“Hello Anakin,” Obi-wan smiled, letting Anakin take a moment to compose himself as Palpatine walked away to speak to someone. 

“Everything ready to go,” Anakin asked. 

“As good as it can be. I just want to get things started,” Obi-wan said honestly. He had reached the point where anticipation was growing inside him at a steady rate, so it was time to begin the debate. Anakin nodded his head, as though understanding what Obi-wan was trying to say but didn’t say anything else. The lady beside him just watched the interaction between the two of them before reaching out to shake Obi-wan’s hand, “I’m Padme by the way. I don’t believe we’ve met Mr. Kenobi.” 

Obi-wan took her hand in his and gently shook it, “you can call me Obi-wan. It’s a pleasure to meet you Padme.” Anakin seemed to realize he had yet to introduce the two of them, “yes, sorry about that. Padme this is Obi-wan. The man…the one I…I work for,” Anakin finished lamely. “Obi-wan, this is Padme. A long-time friend from University.”

Obi-wan couldn’t help but smile warmly at her, regardless of how awkward Anakin was behaving. She was wonderful. It only took a few minutes for Obi-wan to become enchanted with her, much like Anakin seemed to be, for whenever she spoke he had a dopey smile on his face. Obi-wan would have been jealous if it weren’t for the fact that he probably looked the same…except it was whenever Anakin looked his way and gave him a small grin. 

Obi-wan could see why Anakin had Padme as a friend. She was fiercely loyal and obviously had a soft spot for Anakin (not that he could blame her). She was smart, determined, and was interested in politics herself, something that Obi-wan promised he would talk to her about whenever she wanted. Padme was more than happy to take him up on his offer. Before the conversation could go any further however, Cody came over to tell Obi-wan that it was time to go on stage. Obi-wan quickly turned to Anakin, “after the debate is over, can I get a moment alone with you Anakin?” Obi-wan didn’t care if Padme overheard him, he hadn’t said anything too out of line. Anakin on the other hand looked like he had just swallowed a bug.

“I guess we can…sure…unless you need me to take you home right after Padme,” Obi-wan didn’t like the fact that Anakin was looking at her as though she could get him out of a bad situation. Obi-wan’s stomach twisted and not because of nerves going on stage. Thankfully, Padme looked at Anakin with a raised eyebrow, “of course not Ani! You talk to Obi-wan after the debate. I’ll find a way back to my place. I’m sure you guys will have lots to celebrate. Don’t worry about it,” Padme cast a skeptical eye at Anakin.

“As long as you’re sure,” Anakin hesitated.

“Ani…believe me…you have nothing to worry about,” Padme’s tone softened as she smiled warmly up at Anakin. Anakin’s eyes locked on hers as though something important had just been said. Anakin gave a slow nod before turning his attention back to Obi-wan. His eyes seemed a little bit brighter. “I’ll meet you here after the debate. Good luck Obi. You’ll do great.” Obi-wan was glad to hear that Anakin seemed to mean what he said. Obi-wan said his goodbyes and with one last glance at Qui-gon who came up beside him to wish him good luck, Obi-wan stood beside Palpatine as the two men waited for their introductions. Obi-wan placed a hand over his speech, which still lay in his jacket pocket. He noticed that Palpatine had nothing with him.

“Ready for this Kenobi,” Palpatine smirked the moment nobody was around to hear him.

“More than you give me credit for,” Obi-wan retorted and he stepped forward onto the stage. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

For Obi-wan’s first debate he felt it went better than expected. His speech sounded better than Palpatine’s, even though the other man got a few more chuckles from the audience, but again that was based on congeniality more than anything. Whenever Palpatine made a point, Obi-wan had a counterpoint and vice versa. Obi-wan had to appreciate how Palpatine kept him on his toes for the man didn’t make it this far by being stupid. The moment the debate was over, Obi-wan went backstage and was greeted immediately by his team and Qui-gon, who had nothing but positives to give him. Cody clapped him on the back, while Satine kissed his cheek, making Obi-wan blush, but he took their kind words in stride, not quite believing that he had done so well.

Anakin was standing just outside of the small circle that was around Obi-wan, beaming at him from across the room. Obi-wan had been hoping that Anakin would be proud of him, and based on his bright smile, he was. Obi-wan kept talking and laughing until the conversation died down and he could break free. He meant to find Palpatine and shake the man’s hand after a good debate, but he was nowhere to be seen. As though reading his thoughts Satine spoke loud enough for everyone around her to hear, “he left soon after the debate finished Obi-wan. Somebody doesn’t like to lose.” Laughter run out at her words. Obi-wan was disappointed by Palpatine’s actions, but not entirely surprised. However, this would make their next debate even tougher. Palpatine would not sit back and lick his wounds for long.

With that thought in mind, he slowly began to make his way towards Anakin. There was plenty of work ahead of them, but for now he could take a break and he couldn’t think of a better person to share it with than the man before him. Obi-wan wanted to get to Anakin before he disappeared again. As soon as he came up to him, Anakin placed the small plastic cup he had been drinking water from onto the table and placed his hands in his pockets, as though suddenly nervous. Obi-wan wished he could take his hand and comfort him, but he couldn’t do so with all these people milling about. Not to be deterred, Obi-wan came in a little bit closer so he could speak quietly. “How do you think things went?”

Anakin’s eyes crinkled, “you did fabulous Obi-wan. It was exactly what we rehearsed. I think we were able to make a lot of good points in your speech!” Obi-wan could only smile affectionately before asking what had been on his mind all day, “care to join me for supper tonight?”

Anakin’s eyes widened a little as though surprised by his question. “Are you sure? Don’t you have lots of work to do?”

Obi-wan shook his head no. “It can wait Anakin. Besides, I was hoping to celebrate with you.” Anakin let out a small breath of air as he laughed before nodding his head yes, “I would like that.” Obi-wan gave a delighted smile in return. “Where would you like to go?” He was happy to have Anakin decided for the two of them, especially after ruining their plans last time. Anakin _hmmmmmmed_ in thought and opened his mouth to give his reply before abruptly shutting it and grabbing onto Obi-wan’s arm in a tight grip. 

“Anakin…” Obi-wan questioned, only to have Anakin close his eyes and give his head a shake as though trying to jiggle something loose. Obi-wan began to turn around to see what had gotten Anakin so worked up, which only made Anakin grab the fabric on his arm even tighter, “no! Don’t Obi. Its… _err_ …it’s nothing. Thought I saw Palpatine back. It’s…it’s nothing,” Anakin gave a nervous twitter of laughter. 

“Oh…should I turn around? Is Palpatine back,” Obi-wan was confused but didn’t want to startle Anakin any more than he already seemed to be, so he waited for Anakin to look at him with those big blue eyes that he was slowly falling for. “It wasn’t him. Sorry…something just frightened me for a minute,” Anakin let go of Obi-wan’s suit, but not before letting his fingers trail over his arm, making goosebumps appear wherever he touched.

Before Obi-wan could say anything, Roman and Qui-gon both came up to him to give their congratulations. Qui-gon quickly told him that a celebration of sorts would be waiting for him when he got home that evening. Obi-wan couldn’t wait to hear Qui-gon’s thoughts on the debate, so he was looking forward to it already. Roman stood back until Qui-gon moved away and then stuck his hand out to give Obi-wan’s hand a shake. Obi-wan was once again surprised by his brother’s behaviour but he took it in stride, “good job baby brother. I’m impressed. Looking forward to what the next debate brings. Just make sure to call me ahead of time about your outfit,” Roman ran a hand through his slightly dishevelled hair, then left before Obi-wan could reply, following closely behind Qui-gon.

Obi-wan would have been worried about that if he weren’t feeling so elated by today’s events. Turning back to Anakin, he seemed to have the same look on his face he had only moments ago. Obi-wan decided to help him by asking where Padme was. 

“She had to leave as soon as the debate was over, but she heard the whole thing and wanted me to tell you how impressed she was,” Anakin was looking down as he spoke, making Obi-wan wonder not for the first time what was wrong. Anakin’s behaviour had bothered him since the moment he walked in.

“That’s very kind of her. How about we get out of here and I drive? You can tell me where you want to go as we walk,” Obi-wan offered. Anakin seemed unsure by this, but then said, “that sounds good.” Before Anakin could change his mind, Obi-wan gently took him by the elbow and directed him towards the door. Obi-wan said some quick goodbyes as he walked with Anakin, telling Satine and Cody that he would see them tomorrow. 

Upon entering his car, Anakin kept quiet as he buckled his seatbelt and Obi-wan did the same. Pulling out of his parking spot, Obi-wan began to make his way down the road taking him in the direction of downtown Coruscant. “Tell me where I need to turn,” Obi-wan said quietly. 

“Okay,” Anakin shifted his eyes towards him, and his mouth quirked in a side smile to show Obi-wan that he was thankful that he had offered them a night out. But for whatever reason, that wasn’t enough for Obi-wan. He wanted Anakin to say more…do more…just like they had a few days ago in this very vehicle. Maybe it was the adrenaline still working on him…or the feelings that had been growing inside Obi-wan since Anakin had first come into his office…but at this very moment he wanted nothing more than to please the handsome man beside him and take care of him. 

However, they weren’t going to get anywhere if they didn’t talk about him cancelling their dinner from before. It seemed to have hurt Anakin more than he was letting on, so it was time to clear the air.

“I was thinking you and I could talk about some things over dinner,” Obi-wan didn’t dare look in Anakin’s direction in fear that he would not like his response.

“Oh…that would be good…” Anakin rubbed his hands across his pant legs, indicating that he was nervous about Obi-wan’s suggestion.

“Maybe talk about what happened a few days ago and where you see this going,” Obi-wan ventured. Anakin didn’t say anything, just stared out of the car window.

“Unless you don’t want to,” Obi-wan said suddenly.

Anakin’s head darted around to stare at him, “why wouldn’t I want to?”

Obi-wan let out a small laugh, “based on how you’ve been acting since I saw you today, I can’t be sure!”

At this Anakin frowned and his eyes narrowed. “Sorry if you weren’t happy with my performance,” Anakin said sharply.

Obi-wan slammed on his breaks a little bit harder than necessary as they came to a red light. He turned his head and glared at Anakin; retort ready on his lips before he saw Anakin’s determined glare. Obi-wan knew immediately that Anakin was ready for a fight, so whatever he said would not go over well. Anakin’s eyes blazed as Obi-wan took a deep breath, before making a snap decision as the light turned green. Turning the car sharply to the right, Obi-wan made his way through some streets before hitting a narrow alleyway. He drove through the first two alleyways before parking his car along the side of a brick wall, far away from prying eyes, where nobody would see them.

“What are you doing!” Anakin peered out the back window, twisting his body all the way around to get a good look as though he was making sure nobody was following them, or to get his bearings. Obi-wan would have found it adorable if he weren’t so frustrated by Anakin’s remark.

“Why are you so mad,” Obi-wan asked sternly, causing Anakin to twirl back around and sit heavily in his seat before glaring at him. “Because you cancelled our dinner,” Anakin said through clenched teeth, but Obi-wan had to admire his honesty.

“I cancelled because things were hectic!”

“That’s what you said, but you and I both know every day is hectic so what made that day worse?”

Obi-wan scoffed at Anakin, “You are starting a fight where there doesn’t need to be one dear Anakin. I promise you I didn’t cancel our dinner on purpose,” Anakin shook his head in disapproval. 

“You texted me at a really bad time Obi-wan. I couldn’t trust that you were telling the truth!”

Obi-wan raised his hands in exasperation, “I don’t believe this! Why are you making such an issue about all of this Anakin?” 

Anakin’s eyes narrowed once more, “because whenever someone says they are busy they usually aren’t. Because I was looking forward to our plans and you bailed.”

Obi-wan could feel the frustration leaking out of Anakin, so he turned off the car and began stroking his beard in thought before answering, “why would you assume I’m like everybody else?”

“I don’t think you’re like everybody else. That’s the problem,” Anakin rubbed a hand down his face in anger before looking out his side window as though looking for a way to escape.

“Why is that a problem,” Obi-wan asked carefully.

“Because I’m beginning to fall for you, and I hate it when you’re not around!” Anakin’s eyes widened at his honesty and he immediately looked away again, wrapping himself up with his arms and turning to look out the window. The silence in the car was deafening as Obi-wan’s fingers stopped playing with his beard and he opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the right thing to say. 

The fight left Obi-wan immediately as he reached across and placed a warm hand on Anakin’s shoulder, only to feel the young man vibrating under his touch. 

“Anakin…Anakin _please_ look at me,” Obi-wan waited until Anakin turned his head to watch Obi-wan with weary eyes. “I need you to understand me. I would never…I always want to spend time with you. If I say I’m busy, I promise you I am. I would never play games with you.”

Anakin continued to stare with a jaded look, without saying a word. He just sat there, arms still around himself, looking like he was ready to open his door and run for it. Obi-wan _had_ to get him to understand that…that...Obi-wan swallowed thickly as he watched the negative emotions run over Anakin’s handsome face. 

“I don’t know everything about your past Anakin, but I need you to know that what’s been happening between the two of us isn’t fake. It’s not a game. I’m falling for you too,” Obi-wan’s throat clamped up at his admission. He himself hadn’t even been aware that he had been feeling this way, but now that it was out in the open, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his chest and he could give himself permission to express himself freely with Anakin.

To his horror, Anakin’s eyes began to swim with tears at his statement and Anakin brought an arm up to wipe some tears away. Oh _dear God_ , what had he done? Reaching out with his hand, Obi-wan made to grab Anakin and bring him closer so that he could comfort him when Anakin made a sudden move and crashed his lips to Obi-wan’s, letting out a watery small laugh as Obi-wan kissed him back deeply, wrapping his arms around him and letting Anakin crush him against the door of his car.

“Do you mean it,” Anakin whispered against his mouth as though dazed by Obi-wan’s words. 

“I mean it Anakin. I mean it…” Anakin’s eyes were still watery, so Obi-wan whispered it again. He knew deep down that he would keep saying it until Anakin believed him because it had been so long since he had held someone in his arms, someone who liked him back as much as Obi-wan liked them, that he didn’t want to let Anakin go. So, it was Anakin who pulled away slightly a few seconds later, only to lean in and whisper, “then show me Obi.”

“Wh… _what_ …” Obi-wan stuttered as he took in Anakin’s words. Anakin had a pleased look on his face as he took one of his larger hands and placed it inside Obi-wan’s suit jacket, rubbing it up and down his side, causing Obi-wan to shiver in delight. “Show me Obi-wan. I’ve wanted you for so long now, I’ve waited for you…I need…I need you to show me.”

Obi-wan couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “you’ve…you’ve wanted me… _oh Anakin_ ,” he let out a breathless gasp as Anakin started to kiss his neck instead, slowly licking where his shirt collar met his skin.

“You have no idea,” Anakin’s warm breath stuck to his skin as sweat started to form. Obi-wan looked up at the roof of his car only to give a sharp intake of breath as Anakin took the hand that had been rubbing his side and placed it on the zipper of his pants, where he was starting to get hard. Giving it a gentle squeeze, Obi-wan’s eyes shut tightly as he allowed himself some time to enjoy the sensations Anakin was starting to stir in him. He could feel Anakin everywhere as well as smell him, and it was intoxicating. Anakin was becoming such an important part of his life that Obi-wan knew deep down that what he was feeling for Anakin was only getting stronger each and every day.

This wonderful, beautiful, charming man was in his existence and he wanted him… _him_ …

Determined to prove to Anakin how he felt, Obi-wan opened his eyes and dragged Anakin’s head up from where it was currently giving him what was sure to be a gigantic hickey on the side of his neck. Anakin could only look at Obi-wan through lust filled eyes, blue almost entirely gone. Anakin’s chest was moving rapidly against his and he knew he must look the same based on the shy smile Anakin gave him. Overhead, a crack of thunder could be heard in the distance as the slow pitter patter of rain started to beat down on the top of Obi-wan’s car. Suddenly, Obi-wan knew he was going to do everything Anakin asked. He was going to show this gorgeous man in front of him exactly what the felt for him, until Anakin believed with every breath he took that Obi-wan was his.

Taking both hands, Obi-wan started to push Anakin towards the backseat. 

“What…what are you… _ohhhhh_ ,” Anakin’s eyes lit up in delight as Obi-wan fisted his purple shirt into his hands and pushed him forcibly into the backseat of his car. Obi-wan wasn’t sure how they managed, but both men found there way by squeezing themselves through the two front seats. If Obi-wan had to twist and turn Anakin’s long legs, while making sure his hands roamed every inch of him along the way, so be it. Anakin didn’t seem to mind and Obi-wan couldn’t help but feel delighted as he heard Anakin’s gleeful laughter as they both got comfortable and he saw that Anakin’s eyes were not longer sad but excited.

Anakin’s laughter quickly died in his throat as he took in Obi-wan’s wild, desperate look as he pushed at him once more. Obi-wan didn’t stop until Anakin was lying down on the backseat, with Obi-wan leaning overtop of him. Anakin brushed his hands across Obi-wan’s chest and shoulders, before slipping underneath his suit jacket and letting it fall to the floor. Obi-wan watched it hit the floor before turning to Anakin and saying in a voice he didn’t quite recognize, “say it again Anakin.”

Anakin’s eyes widened in delight, “I’m falling for you.”

Obi-wan leaned forwards until he could kiss Anakin, allowing his tongue to press itself against Anakin’s lips, “tell me more.”

Anakin whined as Obi-wan brought his mouth away, panting slightly.

“I’m yours Obi-wan.”

Obi-wan couldn’t help the quiet moan that escaped from his throat as he began to rip off Anakin’s shirt in his haste to feel his skin beneath his fingertips, “say it again darling.”

Anakin’s breath stuttered in his chest, “f-f-fuck Obi. I’m yours. I’m yours. Christ I’m yours!” Anakin’s head tilted back as Obi-wan worked on the buttons of his shirt, before hastily pushing it down Anakin’s arms, only catching slightly on the gold watch Obi-wan had seen Anakin wearing earlier on that day. Anakin lifted his arm as though to remove it, but Obi-wan stopped him with a shake of his head, “leave it on Ani. I’ve dreamed of seeing you with nothing else on but this watch all day.” 

“Christ Obi…” Anakin could only whimper as Obi-wan took his shirt off the rest of the way and began working on his belt. It wasn’t until he had managed to undo both Anakin’s belt and pants that Anakin reached for Obi-wan to do the same, “what happened to the soft-spoken negotiator that I know and lo…like,” Anakin asked quietly as he got Obi-wan’s clothes off and laid back completely as Obi-wan tugged Anakin’s pants and underwear down his long legs, tugging them off and adding them to the pile of clothes on the car floor. He pressed himself against Anakin so that they could both feel every nook and cranny of each other before answering. 

“He’s still here darling. I promise you. He’s just a little consumed at the moment knowing that he’s yours,” Obi-wan placed a comforting hand on Anakin’s hard cock, giving it a firm squeeze. Anakin moaned and moved his hands so they were cupping Obi-wan backside. Obi-wan could feel the cold metal of the gold watch against his skin, which made him instantly hard as he felt it move against his skin as Anakin began to gently thrust upwards. Not being able to stop himself, Obi-wan began to push against Anakin’s own cock, feeling it harden for him, before bringing his hand down and taking it his hand.

Anakin let out a tiny squeak as Obi-wan began to tenderly stroke it from root to tip, making sure to gather any pre-come that was beginning to leak out so that he could rub it up and down his cock and make things smoother. 

“Oh…oh God Obi…that feels so good,” Anakin whispered against Obi-wan’s neck as he moved his hands towards the car door and placed them against it so as to give himself some leverage. Obi-wan moved his face so that he could kiss Anakin slowly, delicately, as he continued to move his hand down below. Anakin’s legs came up as he braced himself with his feet, making sure he stayed as close to Obi-wan as possible as he began to pant heavily.

“Obi…Obi please…don’t make me…not yet. I don’t want to come yet,” Anakin teared his mouth away from Obi-wan’s as he shuddered, making Obi-wan immediately stop what he was doing with his hand and begin to rain kisses down Anakin’s torso. Obi-wan was becoming delirious with wanting to please Anakin and prove to him that Obi-wan was his. Swirling his tongue softly against one of Anakin’s nipples, Obi-wan was pleasantly pleased when this caused Anakin to slap his hand against the door in frustration.

“Obi! Please. I need…I need,” Obi-wan looked up, lips red and swollen, eyes locking onto Anakin’s to make him see that Obi-wan was in it for Anakin’s pleasure. Anakin might have said Obi-wan was his and his alone, but Obi-wan was determined to make him see that it worked both ways.

“What do you need darling,” Obi-wan spoke softly as he slowly began moving his hand against Anakin’s cock once more, looking down and seeing the length of Anakin as he stroked him with his hand.

“You’re beautiful,” Obi-wan whispered as Anakin tried to catch his breath. This only caused Anakin to have to take a weak breath before saying, “oh Obi I need you…Obi…I need…ahhhh…ahh,” Anakin let out a loud gasp as Obi-wan, feeling particularly daring, moved his mouth downwards and kissed and nipped Anakin’s belly button, hipbones and thighs, making sure to scratch Anakin delicately with his beard as he went.

It wasn’t until his mouth was at Anakin’s cock that Obi-wan dared to look up at Anakin one more time, only to find the other man already staring at him, hands still against to car door as he watched him in amazement. Obi-wan had to make sure Anakin was okay before he continued, “tell me what you need Ani.” Anakin swallowed visibly before saying somewhat shakily, “I need…I need your mouth Obi. Please.” 

Obi-wan nodded his head and without hesitation kissed the tip of his cock before moving his mouth slowly downwards, keeping his tongue on the underside as he began to lick and move his way up and down. Obi-wan moaned deeply at the smell and taste of Anakin. He was becoming completely overwhelmed by the man underneath him and wanted to devour him entirely. Determined to take his time, Obi-wan licked and sucked as his hands continued to roam Anakin’s body, causing the man underneath him to toss his head from side to side as he got lost in his own pleasure. Obi-wan could feel Anakin’s thighs tightening up around his head as he continued to work him, knowing that Anakin was slowly becoming undone based on the noises he was making. Anakin was getting more vocal the more Obi-wan worked him with his tongue. His mouth hanging open to let out gasps and sighs, which were increasing in volume.

Knowing Anakin was slowly becoming overwhelmed, Obi-wan let one of his fingers trail downwards from Anakin’s cock and ever so slightly placed a fingertip at Anakin’s entrance.

Anakin screamed.

He slammed both hands against the car door, grabbing the door handle tightly and panting, “fuck! Fuck don’t stop Obi. Yes! Yes…yes…” and before Anakin could say anymore, he was coming in Obi-wan’s mouth. Obi-wan couldn’t help the deep moan that vibrated from his mouth to Anakin’s cock as the taste that Obi-wan had been waiting for hit the back of his throat. The vibrations caused Anakin to pump even more onto Obi-wan’s waiting tongue, which he gladly swallowed.

Anakin collapsed onto the backseat. Obi-wan smiled as he heard Anakin let out little whimpers as he licked his softening cock and he let it slip out of his mouth. Obi-wan began moving his way upwards towards Anakin’s panting mouth, his half-lidded blue eyes watching Obi-wan with affection. Obi-wan reached Anakin’s mouth and began to kiss him hungrily as he wrapped him up in his arms. Anakin was shaking slightly as Obi-wan held on, letting Anakin run his hands through his auburn hair to try and settle himself. 

After a few moments, Anakin finally spoke. 

“Nobody…nobody has ever…” Anakin moved a hand away from his hair and began to stroke it over Obi-wan’s body.

“Nobody has done what darling,” Obi-wan looked at Anakin’s flushed face and swollen lips and saw that the man was still looking at him with open tenderness. Obi-wan kissed Anakin’s neck as he waited for the younger man’s response as he tried to catch his own breath. Obi-wan was still hard and thick between his legs, but he would wait for as long as Anakin needed until he was fully satisfied.

“Nobody but you has ever touched me like that,” Anakin whispered, not quite looking in Obi-wan’s direction as he said the words. Obi-wan quickly stopped all movement and leaned upright so that he could cup Anakin’s face in one of his hands and bring his face towards his. 

“Anakin…are you saying…have you never…”

“I’ve done many things Obi-wan, just never that.” Anakin shrugged his shoulders as though it wasn’t a big deal, causing Obi-wan to grip Anakin tighter. 

“I didn’t feel the need to say anything once we started…you made me feel so…but I’m sorry I’m not more…” Obi-wan shut Anakin up by kissing him hard, and began to thrust gently against the other man as Anakin moaned beneath him and held on tight.

“Do you…this isn’t a problem…” Anakin asked anxiously once Obi-wan let him go.

“Not at all dear one,” Obi-wan could barely keep his eyes open as Anakin spoke, completely overwhelmed by the onslaught of emotions he was suddenly feeling towards the man who was quickly becoming his everything.

“Oh Anakin…” Obi-wan wrapped his arms around Anakin as he moved him so that Anakin was on top and he was now underneath, feeling the warmth and weight of the beautiful man before him. Anakin startled as they moved, but he quickly rearranged himself so that he could bring a thigh between Obi-wan’s open legs, who began pushing against him. Obi-wan let out a stuttering gasp as Anakin trailed a hand down and wrapped his long fingers around him, knowing exactly what Obi-wan needed. 

“I’m not going to last much longer darling,” Obi-wan warned Anakin who only gripped him harder.

Anakin nodded his head slowly, “but there is so much more I want to do with you Obi-wan. I wish we had more time.” Obi-wan gave a delighted gasp, “we will Ani, I promise you we will. I will do anything you ask.”

At this Anakin gave a delightful smirk, “will you let me touch you the way you touched me?”

Obi-wan gasped as Anakin began to move his fingers just a little bit faster, “yes…yes Ani.”

“Will you lick me anywhere I ask you to,” Anakin leaned down and kissed Obi-wan roughly as he began to move his hand faster and faster. Obi-wan could feel his balls begin to tighten and he couldn’t help the way his legs wrapped around Anakin’s torso as he continued moving his hand. 

“Oh…fuck…” Obi-was gasped against his mouth. 

Seemingly pleased with himself, Anakin twisted his hand around the tip of Obi-wan’s cock, before moving as fast as possible. The wet obscene sounds between Obi-wan’s cock and Anakin’s hand caused Obi-wan to shudder. 

“Will you use your fingers to bring me to off,” Anakin whispered.

Obi-wan could only nod his head and let out a silent gasp as he grabbed onto Anakin’s shoulders and held on tight.

“Will you use your tongue on me,” Anakin placed his forehead against Obi-wan’s and let him breathe against his mouth as Anakin continued to speak to him. 

“Will you fold me in half and fuck me as hard as you can,” he breathed against his lips as he gave a final twist at the top of Obi-wan’s cock. 

Obi-wan keened as his orgasm hit him harder than he had expected, and his eyes slammed shut as he let himself be swept away in sensation as Anakin’s hand continued to work him until he started to go limp.

Obi-wan didn’t open his eyes for a minute or two as he came back to center. He could feel the stickiness between he and Anakin, but he couldn’t bring himself to care about the mess they had made as Anakin let go of his cock and began to make himself comfortable on top of Obi-wan, wrapping an arm and leg around him as he kissed him softly anywhere his mouth could reach. 

The only thing Obi-wan cared about was the way they smelled together, how Anakin had sounded when he’d come, how the man had felt beneath his fingertips when the moved together, and how he and Anakin were so wrapped around each other now, that they were closer than ever before, and Obi-wan wasn’t about to let it go. 


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qui-gon has the cottage to himself now that Obi-wan is working with Anakin on his second debate speech. He invites Roman over and the two of them not only spend the time they need to clear the air, but spend an intimate evening together as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Obi-wan and Anakin have managed to take their relationship even further, it felt important to write about where Qui-gon and Roman are at, especially since these two still need to clear the air and want to get closer. 
> 
> As always, thank you for the comments and kuddos. I love hearing what people think and I'm glad others are enjoying this story and the pairings. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter Nine

Qui-gon sat back against the couch in his living room, wrapping his large hands around the ceramic tea mug he was currently holding, which contained his favourite Japanese tea. Blowing on it softly, Qui-gon watched as swirls of steam lifted into the air, taking a deep inhale of the comforting scent. Despite the cold weather outside, Qui-gon felt quite at peace in the comfort of his own home. Focusing on the fireplace in front of him, Qui-gon allowed himself to watch the flames dance before him as the person beside him rearranged themselves so they could place their feet in his lap as they settled into the couch cushions. 

Without hesitation, Qui-gon took one of his warm hands from the tea mug and placed it on top of the socked feet, rubbing them softly, causing the owner to sigh softly and wiggle their toes for more attention. Qui-gon took a sip of his tea before he placed it gently on the arm of the couch and looked over at his companion.

“You seem content,” Qui-gon watched as the warm lights of the cottage accentuated Roman’s icy blue eyes as they shone back at him.

“I am _very_ content darling,” Roman drawled as he placed an arm on the back of the couch, idly picking at the fabric while swirling his glass of brandy in the other. Qui-gon smiled softly as he took another sip of his tea, feeling the comforting warmth spread through his chest. When Qui-gon had suggested he and Roman have a cup of tea together to help warm them up, he’d gotten a swift _fuck you_ for his efforts, so he offered him brandy instead. Roman was more than happy to accept and Qui-gon was confident they could continue to have a peaceful evening together since they had the cottage to themselves for the rest of the night.

Qui-gon couldn’t confirm anything yet, but he was fairly certain Obi-wan and Anakin had gotten together at some point, based on how Anakin was always within Obi-wan’s reach these past few days and more importantly, the telltale look of bewilderment that had been on Obi-wan’s face the moment he had come home the night of his first debate. Qui-gon could hardly believe how… _happy_ …his dear friend had looked when he’d come home that night. Obi-wan never said anything explicitly, but their entire dinner consisted of Obi-wan telling Qui-gon all about Anakin and how the young man made him feel. 

After that, Qui-gon hadn’t seen much of Obi-wan but knew it was for good reasons. Tonight, for example, he and Anakin were busy finishing his second debate speech which was coming up in just a few days. Qui-gon was sure Obi-wan would find the right time to speak to him about all that had transpired. He was also hoping to find the right time to speak to Obi-wan about all that had taken place between he and Roman, for things had changed drastically.

Qui-gon took another sip of tea as he continued to rub Roman’s feet and stare at the flames of the fire. He knew he had promised Obi-wan not to pursue his brother, and alas he had failed. Qui-gon could only hope that Obi-wan would understand that Qui-gon had tried so hard to ignore the man beside him, but to no avail. Roman had managed to worm his way into his life over these past few weeks and was slowly beginning to make his way into Qui-gon’s heart.

Not that Qui-gon hadn’t tried to stop it from happening. 

First, he had spent a few nights at his office in the hopes of sorting out his racing thoughts. He refused to spend too much time at the cottage in fear that Roman would show up unexpectedly and just come right out and tell Obi-wan the very thing Qui-gon was trying to keep from him. Or worse…just start making out with him there and then.

But staying at his office day and night had only made Obi-wan feel bad, which in turn made Qui-gon feel even worse, so he stopped three days in and came back home. The relief that swept over Obi-wan when he said he was staying for the night made Qui-gon almost sick to his stomach, so he had gone out of his way to make Obi-wan feel better. Qui-gon knew he was overcompensating due to his own guilt, but the only way it could be fixed was by telling Obi-wan the truth, and Qui-gon wasn’t quite ready for that.

So, he tried the next best thing - meditation. 

This had helped somewhat, but with the busyness of the school year it was impossible to do so more than once a day, and Qui-gon needed more time than that. He had even found a yoga studio close by to try and relax, but only found that the various positions they made him try simply made him think about Roman and how sexy he would look doing them, so Qui-gon didn’t go back after one session. 

Then there came the vivid dreams.

Qui-gon hadn’t had so many passionate dreams in his entire lifetime as he had had these past few weeks. Waking up in a pool of sweat, sheets wrapped around his waist, Qui-gon tried to chalk it up to having a man like Roman Sionis pay attention to him – it truly had been too long…but he knew deep down it was more than that.

Then the texts came, which did nothing but drive Qui-gon crazy. 

Qui-gon wasn’t sure how Roman had gotten his cellphone number, but he had. Quite frankly, Qui-gon didn’t want to know. With everything else he was sure Roman did illegally, getting a cellphone number was the least of his problems.

Roman had texted him once saying he would like to speak with him. Qui-gon hadn’t answered him back. 

Roman texted him again the next day, saying he would meet him anywhere. Qui-gon still didn’t answer. 

A couple of days later, Roman texted a third time indicating that he had a lot of money and some strong connections in Coruscant, so he would find a way to see him. This just made Qui-gon uneasy, so he told Roman as such and said if he were going to strong arm him into seeing him, he could forget it.

After that, Roman had gone quiet for a few days before texting one more time to simply say he missed him. Qui-gon hated to admit it, but that made him feel guilty. 

That was the day Qui-gon tried running for the first time in years. He looked ridiculous in his running gear and Obi-wan was kind enough to hide his laughter until his back was turned, but he pulled a muscle halfway down the road and decided running was a useless pastime anyways. 

So, he texted Roman back that evening and simply told him he needed some time to sort things out and to leave him alone until then. This time, it was Roman who didn’t respond back.

Qui-gon truly believed that was it. He thought for sure that Roman was fed up waiting for him and had moved on to greener pastures. It wasn’t until a couple of days later when Victor Zsasz showed up at his lecture hall that Qui-gon knew Roman was still interested. Qui-gon hadn’t know who he was at first, except that he stood out like a sore thumb amongst his economic students. Victor had waited until Qui-gon’s lecture was done and the classroom was empty before approaching. 

“You need to speak to Roman.”

When Qui-gon had inquired as to why, Victor had told Qui-gon that Roman was becoming… _distressed_ … 

According to Victor, Roman was mad one minute, then happy the next. He would smile when people were looking but frown the moment the limelight was off of him. He refused to go to some meetings, sending Victor or Anakin to them instead, which was odd. But most importantly, he was starting to take unnecessary risks all because he was being ignored.

Qui-gon hadn’t believed him at first. This didn’t sound like the Roman he knew. 

“Don’t believe me then. But before you make up your mind about him, come to the club and see for yourself,” Victor had challenged. Qui-gon was left with no choice but to take him up on his offer, and did so the very next day, only to see a man with a bloody face running down the sidewalk, away from Roman’s club. Qui-gon had been nervous to enter but did so because he was – worried. He was worried about Roman and worried that he was going to do something drastic. He wasn’t so arrogant as to think it solely had to do with him, but based on what Victor had said, he needed to see for himself.

Once Qui-gon had gotten the chance to speak with Roman that evening, the trajectory of their relationship had changed. So much so in fact that by the time Obi-wan’s first debate rolled around Roman had been on his best behaviour. He seemed naturally happy to be by Qui-gon’s side as they watched Obi-wan’s debate again Palpatine, and he listened attentively as Qui-gon told him about some of the people in Obi-wan’s campaign. Their conversation was going so well that Qui-gon had surprised even himself when he had taken Roman’s hand in his by the food table and had given it a gentle squeeze before letting it go.

Roman’s delight had been instantaneous. To Roman’s credit he hadn’t tried touching Qui-gon in the slightest since their rendezvous in his office, so Qui-gon’s gesture was an unexpected surprise. 

Qui-gon could still picture him turning into Qui-gon’s personal space, eyes sparkling with giddiness as he placed a hand on Qui-gon’s chest. It was only when he started leaning in with his cheeky grin that Qui-gon stopped him by taking a step away, causing Roman to frown in disappointment, but Qui-gon was glad he did for Anakin and Obi-wan were too close for comfort and anybody could see. 

The rest was history.

Qui-gon wanted to see Roman again, so he’d invited him over to the cottage this evening once he knew Obi-wan was going to be gone. The moment he and Roman settled into a conversation, Roman had been honest and open with him. When Qui-gon asked a question, Roman answered swiftly. His bravado seemed to diminish ever so slightly when it was just the two of them, leaving in its place a vulnerability that people rarely got to see. It made Qui-gon want to take the time to peel back layer after layer until he got to the very core that made Roman, for his mind was beginning to tell him Roman would be worth it.

“You seem lost in thought,” Roman looked at him inquisitively as he took a sip of brandy, eyeing Qui-gon over the top of his glass.

“Just thinking about the past couple of days,” Qui-gon’s eyes crinkled as he smiled and took another sip of his tea, rubbing Roman’s feet some more, making him sigh in contentment like a giant cat. 

“You’re good at that.”

“Then I shall continue doing it,” Qui-gon spoke sincerely. 

Roman didn’t say anything as he took another large sip of his brandy, before placing the glass onto the table. Leaning back against the arm of the couch, he placed his arms behind his head and continued to watch Qui-gon intently. Eyes that were the exact same shade as Obi-wan’s, but where Obi-wan’s were reserved, Roman’s were constantly looking for something.

Qui-gon noticed not for the first time that Roman’s eyes held a certain weariness that hadn’t been there a few days before. He was hoping that by spending some time together, Roman would lose some of that, allowing his face to relax and for some of the fine lines that were visible to disappear. Roman and Qui-gon hadn’t gotten into the schematics of Roman’s club and professional life just yet, as Qui-gon was going to leave it for another day, but he could tell something was bothering the man beside him. 

“Do you have something on your mind,” Qui-gon asked in a low tone. He didn’t want to break the peaceful mood in the room, but he also wanted to make sure Roman was doing okay because he had opened up to him quite a bit tonight, and wanted to give him the opportunity to ask Qui-gon questions too. Roman stretched his feet out further so Qui-gon could continue rubbing them, clearly liking the attention. Qui-gon was fascinated to see how one of his hands covered his entire foot.

“Would it be such a bad thing to tell him?”

Qui-gon knew exactly who he was talking about, and he swallowed against the ache in his chest at the thought of Obi-wan being so angry with him that he gave up their friendship. 

“I could lose a very good friend,” Qui-gon spoke softly, but wasn’t surprised when Roman sighed dramatically and threw his head back as though annoyed by his response.

Qui-gon squeezed Roman’s toes gently as he said, “there is nothing more valuable than a friend Roman.”

Qui-gon was trying his best to express how important Obi-wan was to him. Thankfully, Roman’s theatrics were short-lived as he levelled Qui-gon with an intense look. 

“If Obi-wan is stupid enough to give you up as a friend over little old me, he’s a bigger idiot than I give him credit for.”

Qui-gon didn’t say anything as he moved his large hands slowly up Roman’s legs, enjoying the feel of the material underneath. “It’s a complicated situation to say the least,” he finally murmured, making sure he chose his words carefully.

But Qui-gon should have remembered that Roman was too smart for that, for he immediately said in a careful tone, “too complicated to continue?” 

Qui-gon could sense the apprehension starting to rise in Roman as his feet suddenly stopped moving and he became stiff with tension under his hands. Qui-gon had spent that last few weeks asking himself this very question, deliberately avoiding the man before him to clear his head, so he knew the answer already.

“Regardless of my apprehension about Obi-wan, I’ve spent enough of my time debating about what to do, and I keep coming back to the fact that I can’t help but feel that you and I are on the start of something…” Roman didn’t let him continue as he moved his feet off his lap and swiftly sat up before Qui-gon could finish. Instead, he let Roman settle himself on his lap, arms wrapping themselves around his neck. 

“…let me guess… _fucking wonderful_ …” Roman smirked. Qui-gon couldn’t help but chuckle as he pressed his forehead against Roman’s, enjoying the toothy grin Roman gave him. 

“Yes…,” Qui-gon spoke against Roman’s mouth, bringing his hands up to gently smooth out the lines around Roman’s eyes. 

Roman smirked at him, “you finally figured it out have you?”

Qui-gon closed his eyes and kissed him gently. “I’ll admit it took me a little bit longer to get there, but I appreciate your candidness this evening and I really appreciate you allowing me the time I needed to figure things out.”

“I don’t do that for everyone you know,” Roman pulled away from him ever so slightly so Qui-gon could see the serious look he was giving. Qui-gon knew this was true. Roman hadn’t even given his own brother the same courtesy that he gave Qui-gon. A man he had only know for a few weeks. 

“I know…” Qui-gon didn’t say more and both men seemed content to take a few moments to soak up each other’s company in silence. Roman snuggled into him as best he could, hands slowly beginning to play with his long ponytail. Inwardly, Qui-gon preened at the attention Roman was giving him, having missed his hands playing with his hair since the last time they had gotten together like this in his office.

“What made you change your mind,” Roman questioned. 

Qui-gon leaned back slightly to look at Roman properly, who seemed to be in an inquisitive mood but who was watching Qui-gon with a penetrating gaze. 

“It’s not like you to be so curious.” 

Roman bit his lip slightly as his eyes shifted away to watch his hands as they ran up and down the length of Qui-gon’s ponytail, tangling his fingers in the brown strands. Qui-gon let him look away, knowing that he needed a few seconds to process things. Roman’s emotions were always bubbling at the surface, so the more time Qui-gon could give him to help him think things through, he gladly would. 

Roman finally met Qui-gon’s eyes after a few moments, the blue in his somewhat cooler than before.

“Just sorting out the facts darling.” 

Qui-gon knew better than to press, so he let it go. He knew Roman was doing more than _sorting out the facts_. That’s what Qui-gon did for a living as an economics professor and he never looked quite like Roman did with the furrowed brow and downturned mouth while sorting things out.

Suddenly, Qui-gon knew what Roman was looking for. 

He was looking for reassurance. 

A sense of protectiveness began to stir in the pit of Qui-gon’s stomach as he thought of Roman needing love and protection like anybody else but receiving none. From the sounds of things, he rarely received it from his parents and Obi-wan was too busy doing his own thing to show brotherly affection. From what Roman had told him of his past relationships, they were insignificant at best. Therefore, Roman was looking for reassurance from Qui-gon that he was currently with him for all the right reasons, for however long this was going to last.

If Qui-gon had his way, he and Roman would hopefully be together for a long time. But for someone like Roman it could be a couple of days…weeks…maybe a couple of months…before he went on his merry way and found someone else to be possessive about. Regardless, Qui-gon was willing to let this play out no matter what the outcome because he liked Roman. 

With that thought in mind, Qui-gon tenderly removed Roman’s hands from his hair and brought them to his chest, thumbs lightly moving against his skin so Roman would look at him. The unexpected need Qui-gon felt bubbling up in him to try and reassure Roman and protect him shook him a little because it was an intense feeling, but Qui-gon rode it out as Roman looked at him with a bewildered expression, as though he wasn’t quite sure what Qui-gon was playing at. So, Qui-gon decided to be truthful. 

“Since our conversation tonight I now know three things to be true about you Roman,” Qui-gon murmured. 

Roman raised an eyebrow in speculation, “well…pray tell what was it? I’m all ears…”

Qui-gon began in a calming tone, “the first thing I know is that you followed your parent’s footsteps because you were the eldest, thereby opening the door for Obi-wan to follow his own path.”

“Ohhhhh! Well done Qui-gon,” Roman seemed delighted by Qui-gon’s first answer and responded by smacking him loudly on the lips. “Continue…” Qui-gon laughed easily at Roman’s attitude. 

“I’ve also learned that you’re a very smart person, Mr. Sionis. Of course, you have to be smart to get ahead in your walk of life, but I have a feeling not everybody knows how intelligent you are,” Qui-gon couldn’t help the little smirk that appeared on his face as Roman’s cheeks flushed slightly at this statement. 

“Roman Sionis…not liking praise…,” Qui-gon teased. Roman just glared at him slightly, but with no real heat behind his eyes. “Depends on who’s doing the praising.”

Qui-gon kept quiet. This was something he would remember for later. For now, he needed to keep going. 

“I also found out that you are extremely layered. Cold and calculating but also caring. However, that’s only if it’s someone you care about,” Qui-gon let go of one of Roman’s hands so he could lift one of his and run it delicately against the collar of the silk shirt Roman was wearing. 

“Oh really, and an example would be…” Roman sounded almost skeptical. 

“Well for one, Anakin…” Qui-gon waited for Roman to respond, but the man just shrugged his shoulders. “That’s an easy one. Try again.”

“Victor…possibly…” Qui-gon kept stroking the collar of his shirt and kept his voice low so Roman wouldn’t move away. “Your staff…” Qui-gon pressed on and then added quickly, “Obi-wan…”

Roman’s body tensed slightly at the name and once again Qui-gon was struck with the piercing blue of Roman’s eyes as he looked at him as though he was waiting for Qui-gon to chastise him. 

“Anyone else,” Roman asked in almost a whisper.

Qui-gon only hesitated for a moment before whispering, “Me…”

Qui-gon didn’t have to wait long to see if he was right, as Roman cupped Qui-gon’s face in his hands and kissed him deeply. “Fucking right I do,” he whispered against Qui-gon’s mouth before leaning in and kissing Qui-gon again until both men had to part and breathe in some much-needed air.

Qui-gon didn’t want to waste another moment, but Roman beat him to it. 

“Let me spend the night Qui-gon.” 

Qui-gon didn’t hesitate as he said, “come upstairs.”

He heard Roman’s sharp intake of breath as he figured out exactly what it was Qui-gon was trying to say. Qui-gon’s warm brown eyes searched Roman’s face until he saw an earnestness that hadn’t been there since the last time they were so close in Qui-gon’s office. 

“Kay…” Roman sighed and softened into Qui-gon who stood up and picked him up bridal style. Holding Roman steady in his arms, Qui-gon made sure the front door was locked, and then he began to walk towards the stairs, leading up to his bedroom. To his delight Roman began to giggle as he carried him and spun him around before heading up the stairs. The vibrations in Roman’s chest causing Qui-gon to smile brightly at how right this felt. 

“Are you going all caveman on me Mr. Jinn,” he snickered while holding on tightly so he could swing his legs as he was carried. 

“Something tells me you enjoy it,” Qui-gon retaliated with a grin. Roman snickered and began kissing Qui-gon’s neck with tiny little pecks. Reaching the top of the stairs, Qui-gon was happy to see he had left his door open from before, so he could effortlessly bring Roman into his bedroom and place him down swiftly onto his bed, making Roman bounce slightly. Roman just looked at him with half-lidded eyes before smirking, “oh…this is going to be fun!” 

Before Qui-gon could react, Roman shuffled to his knees and began removing his own clothes as quickly as possible. He threw his lavish belt across Qui-gon’s bedroom without a care and began attacking his own silk shirt in a rush to get out of them. It wasn’t until he heard the fabric of Roman’s shirt begin to tear that he joined Roman on the bed, kneeling in front of the smaller man and grabbing his hands to stop him from wreaking his shirt any further. Qui-gon liked that shirt. He wanted to see it again.

Not unkindly Qui-gon said, “slow down my love. There is no rush. We have all evening.”

Qui-gon pushed Roman’s hands out of the way and began to remove it for him, gently opening each button one at a time and tugging it over his shoulders and down his arms before tossing it to the floor. It wasn’t until Roman’s upper half was complete exposed that he realized Roman hadn’t said or moved in the last couple of minutes it took for Qui-gon to take his shirt off.

Roman was only looking at Qui-gon with wide eyes. Qui-gon was suddenly worried that he had done something wrong.

“Was that…was I not supposed to…”

“What did you just call me?” Roman interrupted.

Qui-gon frowned. He wasn’t sure what Roman meant. Thinking back to what just happened he tried to remember what he had said. Without warning, Qui-gon realized what it was Roman was talking about. 

“… _my love_ …” he whispered to himself, but Roman heard him and he quickly reached out and kissed Qui-gon deeply before letting go and pulling Qui-gon’s sweater over his head so he could rain kisses down his neck and collarbone while mumbling, “could you be any more perfect? Fuck. I can’t even…”

As Roman burrowed his face in Qui-gon’s neck, inhaling deeply, Qui-gon couldn’t deny that the endearment had been on the tip of his tongue for a few days now because every time he daydreamed about Roman he would use those loving words. Obviously, his dreams had just become reality and Qui-gon couldn’t stop himself now even if Obi-wan walked through the door. 

Qui-gon ran his large hands up and down Roman’s spine and Roman shuddered against him slightly before he shifted and laid down on Qui-gon’s bed, reaching for his pillows and making himself comfortable. Qui-gon couldn’t get enough of the man before him as his brain finally registered that Roman was laying on his bed looking like he belonged there. 

“Well…what are you waiting for,” Roman blushed slightly. “I’m all yours now Qui-gon. I’m not going anywhere you know.” 

Qui-gon’s last thought before he made his final move was that he knew there was no turning back now.

Not that he wanted to.

Quickly removing Roman’s pants and socks, Qui-gon took a moment to look Roman over one more time before he began to map out his lithe body with his hands. Once again, Qui-gon was struck by how small Roman seemed compared to him, and all he wanted to do was protect him.

Placing his hands against Roman’s underwear, he began to peel it away slowly before leaning over so that his mouth could kiss every inch of warm skin that was gradually being exposed. Qui-gon smiled against Roman’s hip as the man above him whined quietly as he moved his mouth further and further down until Roman’s underwear lay at his ankles. Qui-gon quickly removed the last piece of fabric on Roman’s body and allowed his mouth to trail back up until he was kissing Roman’s neck, sucking on it slightly as Roman shifted under him, trying to get some friction against Qui-gon’s pants which were becoming unbearable tight the more Roman moved.

“Don’t be a tease Qui-gon, you know what I want.” Qui-gon licked at Roman’s neck, letting his beard scratch Roman’s delicate skin slightly before saying, “I know my love. I promise not to tease. Let me just enjoy you.”

“Fuck Qui…you are going to be the death of me,” Roman pestered but let out a tiny gasp as Qui-gon let his fingers and mouth trail over his body once more, stopping only once at his nipples to lick at them before moving to his bellybutton. Roman’s stomach jerked as Qui-gon nipped at it, chuckling breathlessly.

“Stop Qui…it tickles!”

Qui-gon lifted his eyes to Roman’s flushed face with a mischievous grin that not too many people got to see. “Oh…does it now…” he quickly leaned down again and began nipping along Roman’s stomach even as the other man started twisting his body to try and get away from Qui-gon’s roaming mouth and beard, but to no avail. Qui-gon held on to Roman’s hips as the man under him tried to move him away with weak hands before saying with a loud breathless giggle, “stop Qui-gon! Stop!”

Qui-gon gave one last nip with his teeth before getting off the bed. “Whatever you say my love,” he winked at Roman who was trying to compose himself, flushed chest and all.

“You’re crazy…” Roman said with an eagerness in his tone that meant he wanted more, before flopping back down on the bed, arms splayed out. 

Qui-gon tilted his head back and laughed, “you’re just so easy to tease.” Qui-gon chuckled as Roman glared at him, or tried to as he was still trying to catch is breath. Qui-gon showed no remorse as he began to strip himself out of the rest of his clothes, but Roman wasn’t done yet. 

“From the way you carried me up those stairs Qui, I thought I would have your cock in me by now.”

Qui-gon stopped removing his last piece of clothing and leered at him. “Oh, don’t worry. You will,” he uttered before sliding his underwear the rest of the way off and standing still in all his glory. Roman’s eyes grew wide as he took him in from top to bottom.

The atmosphere in the room quickly changed as Roman swallowed hard.

“Holy fuck…” Roman breathed before squirming up towards the headboard once more and taking one of Qui-gon’s pillows and placing it under his hips. Roman didn’t say another word as he spread his legs wide so Qui-gon could kneel between them, which he did but not before taking an appreciative look at Roman’s cock which was hardening against his hip. Before Qui-gon could ask if Roman was still okay with them proceeding, Roman leaned up on one arm and gently brought a hand forward to wrap his fingers around Qui-gon’s hardening length. Qui-gon knew Roman was impressed with him as he looked down and watched his fingers dance across the delicate skin with an amused smile on his face. 

“Everything about you is perfect,” Roman said before he gave his cock a gentle squeeze, causing Qui-gon to close his eyes against the onslaught of pleasure he felt at Roman’s touch. He was beginning to ache everywhere Roman wasn’t touching, and all he wanted was more. 

Reaching over to his bedside table, Qui-gon grabbed the bottle of lube he used sometimes, but couldn’t even remember the last time he had. Roman was the first man in a very long time to stir something inside him that had long laid dormant. Opening the bottle, Qui-gon squirted the lube onto one of his fingers and reached down to Roman’s entrance. Roman brought his legs up and close to his chest in response before whispering, “it’s alright Qui-gon. I need all of you tonight.” 

“Are you sure Roman? I’m happy to do whatever you wish,” Qui-gon needed to make sure Roman was all in before taking this final step. Roman only nodded his head as he brought his hands down to hold the weight of his thighs. Qui-gon leaned down and kissed him hard, causing Roman to gasp against his mouth in response. As soon as his finger found its way to Roman’s entrance and began to push inside, Roman began panting against his mouth, “Qui-gon…Qui-gon…”

The way Roman was saying his name made Qui-gon want to go faster, but he held it together. Qui-gon pressed his finger further inside Roman’s tight body, moving it in and out until Roman whimpered, which was when he added a second finger and began to scissor them gently and stretch Roman with deliberate strokes. Roman keened and pulled on Qui-gon’s ponytail with one of his hands, causing one of his legs to fall to the side, no longer being held up by him. Roman began to move his hips in time with Qui-gon’s fingers to get him to move them faster. 

“Oh Qui…yes…that feels wonderful. Keep going,” Qui-gon knew he wouldn’t have much self-control with the way Roman’s voice tittered across his room. He sounded like an angel. So, he lowered himself as quickly as he could, not stopping until Roman’s legs were resting against his broad shoulders and he had the perfect view of Roman’s cock, which was now fully hard and leaking on his stomach.

Roman reluctantly let go of Qui-gon’s hair but grabbed onto the pillow behind his head instead and clenched it in his fists.

“Has anyone ever told you how stunning you are,” Qui-gon whispered against the hair covering Roman’s cock, kissing him gently around the base.

Roman tossed his head back as Qui-gon sucked gently on one spot. “Fuck Qui! Fuck…I don’t…I don’t know!” Qui-gon didn’t respond except to add a third finger and begin to stretch Roman even more. He knew he had to get at least three fingers into him if he wished for Roman to take him properly. 

“Well you are…” Qui-gon mouthed against Roman’s skin. “You’re stunning my love,” he whispered before taking Roman into his mouth as fully as he could and only stopping when he couldn’t take any more. Roman tilted his upper body up from the onslaught of pleasure that was coming at him in every direction before grasping the pillow even harder and calling out his name once more, “Qui-gon…” 

Qui-gon was happy to hear Roman’s voice was starting to sound wrecked as he moved his mouth in time with his fingers which were now scissoring inside Roman’s body with ease. Swirling his tongue around Roman’s shaft he brought his mouth back up and kissed the tip before moving away from Roman completely so he could coat his fingers once more.

Roman sobbed and shut his eyes against whatever it was he was currently feeling the moment he couldn’t feel Qui-gon against him. Qui-gon didn’t want him to suffer so he was back as quickly as he could, lifting one of Roman’s legs into the crook of his arm and spreading him wide so he could go back to his entrance with his fourth and final finger.

Qui-gon kissed whatever part of Roman he could reach as he continued to work him open. Roman chased his mouth with his own whenever he came close to his panting mouth, kissing him wetly and greedily, clutching at Qui-gon with shaking fingers. 

“You’re stunning. You’re amazing,” Qui-gon repeated against Roman’s mouth until all that could be heard was Qui-gon’s harsh breathing and Roman’s loud moans and cries. Qui-gon would have continued breaking Roman apart with his fingers but Roman grabbed his hand working him open and locked his lust filled eyes with Qui-gon’s.

“I’m ready Qui. Please. Fuck…now. I need you in me.”

Without hesitation Qui-gon stopped moving his fingers and took them out of Roman as slowly as he could, who immediately moved to his stomach and got up on his hands and knees, shaking slightly. 

Reaching into the side drawer one more time, Qui-gon brought out a condom and placed it on himself before slicking himself up. Roman was still shaking, so Qui-gon brought a large hand up and began rubbing Roman’s back. “Shhhh, shhhh. I got you love.”

Roman snuffled quietly against Qui-gon’s sheets. 

“I know…fuck…I know you do,” Roman brought his head down between his clenched fists.

Qui-gon could have sworn he heard Roman whisper _what are you doing to me_ , but everything was fuzzy at this point so he couldn’t be sure. Placing both hands on Roman’s hips, Qui-gon focused on Roman and began to gently ease him backwards onto his throbbing length, unable to stop himself from gasping as the heat from Roman’s body began to wrap around him.

Qui-gon tilted his head back, “you feel so good my love,” he gasped causing Roman to clench the sheets under his hands. 

Qui-gon went as slowly as he could until he felt Roman’s backside and he knew Roman had taken him all in. Qui-gon couldn’t help himself as he looked down to where he and Roman were joined. Qui-gon had to shut his eyes against the onslaught of pleasure that shot through him. Grasping Roman’s hips tightly, he began to rock smoothly into the man beneath him.

Qui-gon kept his eyes closed as he listened to the sounds coming out of Roman. He was whimpering, gasping, and saying things under his breath that Qui-gon couldn’t quite make out. He began to speed up and didn’t stop increasing his pace until he knew he was hitting the right spot as words began to spill from Roman’s mouth. “Fuck…fuck Qui. You feel so good…so good…I can feel you…everywhere…ohhhhh…everywhere…everywhere,” Roman slurred as he began to move his hips in time with Qui-gon’s.

“Don’t stop, don’t stop. Oh fuck!”

Qui-gon could feel the telltale signs of Roman coming as he began to tighten around him.

“I’ve got you my love…I’ve got you.” 

Roman whimpered and buried his head against Qui-gon’s sheets, nodding his head in understanding. Qui-gon could only wrap his arms tightly around him as Roman brought one of his hands down to his own cock and began to stroke it in time with Qui-gon’s thrusts. Qui-gon let one of his hands join Roman’s and together they began moving their hands against Roman’s hard length.

Qui-gon couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped as he felt tears begin to form in his eyes as he became completely overwhelmed by the man wrapped so intimately around him. Qui-gon could do nothing more but move his mouth gently against the back of Roman’s neck before he began to rock his hips faster.

It was becoming too much, and yet not enough. Qui-gon wanted to give Roman as much pleasure as possible and not let him go until he’d come at least a dozen times, but he knew that wasn’t possible, even though what had been currently building between the two of them was now raging forward like a lion that had been brought out of its cage. Feeling himself overcome with emotion Qui-gon squeezed Roman to him as tightly as possible, driving his cock into him as hard as he could, making Roman gasp sporadically and come all over his fingers.

Roman clenched against Qui-gon’s cock that was still moving inside him until he let out a small cry and Qui-gon’s hips stuttered once, twice before coming inside him with a shout. Roman began petting him wherever he could reach as Qui-gon began to fall apart from his orgasm.

“That’s it Qui, yes that’s it. Come for me.” 

Qui-gon’s hips stuttered as he emptied himself completely into the man before him, until he couldn’t move any more, slowly removing himself from Roman’s body.

Qui-gon felt delirious and his limbs felt like molasses as he began to move forward, ready to collapse onto his bed with Roman still in his arms. Not willing to let him go, Qui-gon arranged them so he could spoon up against Roman’s body, which was as sweaty as his was, but Qui-gon didn’t care. Both he and Roman were breathing heavily as they settled, absolutely exhausted. 

Pushing his sweaty hair out of his face, Qui-gon brought Roman as close as possible as his other hand moved downward and cupped Roman’s softening cock against the palm of his hand. Roman brought one of his hands down and covered Qui-gon’s with his own, moaning softly.

Qui-gon didn’t know where the possessive move came from, but after what they had just experienced, he wasn’t going to let Roman go any time soon.

Just like earlier on this evening, Roman seemed to read his thoughts.

“You’re mine now Qui-gon Jinn. I don’t think I’m going to be able to let you go anytime soon.” 

Qui-gon could only lift his head one more time and kiss Roman’s sweaty hair as he whispered in his ear, “I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon my love.”

Roman turned his head so he could see Qui-gon’s face. To Qui-gon’s astonishment Roman’s eyes were red rimmed and glassy as he whispered, “good,” before turning away and sniffling softly.

Qui-gon wrapped a leg over the man before him, and tucked his face into the side of Roman’s neck to try and comfort him. In a few minutes Roman’s breathing levelled out and Qui-gon let the comforting scent of vanilla lull him to sleep. 


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman and Anakin have an important conversation, and Roman comes clean about his past and his relationship with Obi-wan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so glad to post another chapter of this story. It's been a busy and hectic month, but I have wanted to get this chapter off the ground for awhile. Thanks for all the kuddos and comments in the meantime. As always, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Roman sat in one of the tall chairs near the front of his bar, going through various paperwork. Normally, this was a menial task that usually took only minutes for him to complete, but today it seemed to be taking him hours. If Roman had been feeling like his old self this would have pissed him off, but today he was enjoying the peace and quiet for once. For today, Roman wasn’t afraid to be alone with his thoughts, and if he was being honest with himself, he knew exactly why.

Roman took a small sip from his drink and let the coolness of the glass seep through the skin of his hand as he stared off into the distance. Catching his reflection in the mirrored wall behind the bar, Roman could easily see his love-struck dumb expression gazing back at him. Roman slowly lowered his eyes towards his glass as he watched the ice dance and swirl before looking back towards his reflection one more time and seeing the same dumb expression. He scowled to himself, and his reflection scowled back. But Roman quickly stopped what he was doing and let himself relax, thinking about the night before and how he had spent it with Qui-gon. Slowly but surely, the same vacant, happy expression came back to his features. 

Roman threw his pen down. It was hopeless.

Every time Roman thought about Qui-gon this happened, and to say it had been unexpected would be a lie. It hadn’t _exactly_ been unexpected. Roman knew he had wanted the large man the minute Qui-gon had opened the door to his cottage and smiled at him. Roman had known exactly what he was going to do to try and seduce Qui-gon once he planted that fateful first kiss on him. Even the little bit of cat and mouse antics that Roman had tried to use to get closer to Qui-gon hadn’t been unexpected. Roman had let his intentions be known as best he could, and the moment he had an opening he went for it.

It wasn’t even Qui-gon himself who had been unexpected. Sure, Roman had wanted a little bit of fun with him at first, but then he got to know Qui-gon a little bit better and he was hooked. Qui-gon hadn’t taken very long to worm his way into Roman’s every waking thought, especially when he legitimately seemed to want to get to know Roman better and had taken an interest in him. Of course, the fact that Qui-gon was attracted to Roman like he was to Qui-gon helped move things along nicely. 

_Thank God._

Roman wasn’t sure he could have waited any longer for Qui-gon to open that particular door after being told to keep his distance and give Qui-gon time to think things through. Thankfully, Qui-gon had been open to the idea soon enough and Roman was up for the challenge.

The truth was…what had been unexpected more than anything was Roman himself…

Roman hadn’t been expecting to feel as deeply as he did for a man he had only known for a short period of time. He certainly hadn’t expected to think of Qui-gon throughout the day, and he certainly hadn’t expected to feel so many bizarre emotions the first time sleeping with him.

Roman shifted in his chair slightly as he remembered how deep and intimate Qui-gon had managed to get the previous evening. It had been amazing. Powerful. Forceful.

But above all else, it had been comforting. The level of security that Qui-gon had managed to put into the situation had been staggering. It left Roman feeling shaky and overwhelmed, which was something he had never felt before, especially during sex. Because of this, he had felt himself crying for the first time in what felt like forever once it was over, and it should have been embarrassing…but for once Roman wasn’t afraid to let his mask drop and let Qui-gon see the real Roman Sionis. 

Besides, it should have been nothing more than basic sex. Two men having strong feelings for one another wasn’t new, nor was spending the night together and waking up feeling refreshed and relaxed. But this was not the case between Qui-gon and Roman. It was more than that, and maybe that was the whole point. It wasn’t casual. It wasn’t just basic sex. Even though Roman knew before he had even slept with Qui-gon that he was feeling things stronger than usual, it had taken Qui-gon wrapping his arms around him, comforting him, holding him, to make him finally admit that it was more than that.

It was changing Roman…and the weirdest part was he wasn’t afraid... he was excited about the possibilities. 

Roman pushed the paperwork away with a sigh of resignation. He wasn’t going to get any more work done in this state of mind. The best thing to do was stop for the day and see what Qui-gon was up to once he was done at the University. Upon thinking of Qui-gon in his swanky professor outfit, Roman couldn’t help the small smile that spread across his face. 

“Somebody looks happy,” Roman quickly tilted his head to the right as he heard someone speak, and saw Anakin come into the room. His face temporarily lost its puppy love expression and broke out into a wide grin.

“Baby bird! I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“It’s been three days Roman,” Anakin said sarcastically, but with a smile. Anakin didn’t say anything more as he rolled up his sleeves and got behind the bar to start cleaning-up what others had missed. Filling the tiny sink with warm, soapy water, Anakin began to wash the dirty glasses that had begun to pile up. Roman let the friendly silence carry on as Anakin began to work on the glasses now soaking in the sink. He watched as Anakin focused on the task at hand, keeping his eyes on nothing more than the sink full of bubbles. It wasn’t until Anakin started humming to himself that Roman finally jumped in. 

“What’s gotten into you,” he questioned. He was fascinated with the way Anakin was holding himself and the small smile that seemed to permanently be etched on his face. To his credit, Anakin just shrugged his shoulders in typical Anakin fashion, and didn’t look up as he scrubbed a little bit harder at a spot that was apparently on one of the glasses. Roman couldn’t be sure, he hadn’t been looking too closely. 

But Roman knew instantly that something was different, and if he didn’t know any better, he would assume it had to do with his baby brother. Roman couldn’t help himself as he opened his mouth to tease Anakin, “did you and Obi-wan finally do the dirty?”

Roman was not prepared for was the severe reaction Anakin gave in response. 

Blushing a deep shade of red, Anakin lost his grip on the glass in his hand and let it splash into the warm water below, causing bubbles to explode all over, including on Anakin himself. Wiping away some bubbles from his cheek, Anakin stared back at Roman with his usual wide eyes when he was nervous.

Stuttering slightly, Anakin spoke. “Wh…what…makes you say that?”

Roman giggled gleefully. He knew it!

“Gee baby bird! I don’t know. Based on your reaction alone,” Roman handed Anakin a tea towel to help clear up some of the water and bubbles still hanging around. He waited for Anakin to compose himself, who suddenly seemed very interested in spending some time cleaning up his mess before picking up the glass he had dropped moments ago and started scrubbing it again. 

“It was nothing,” Anakin said as calmly as he could, still not making direct eye contact with Roman.

For some reason, thinking about Anakin and Obi-wan together pissed him off a little bit, so without thinking he said sourly, “if you can’t even make eye contact with me while talking about having sex with my baby brother Anakin, maybe you aren’t ready!” 

That got Anakin’s attention.

Slamming the glass down onto the counter Anakin glared at Roman, who wasn’t entirely surprised by his outburst of emotion. He’d seen it before. “I am more than capable of figuring out what I am and am not ready for Roman! I don’t need you of all people telling me what to do!”

Not wanting Anakin to have a heart attack, Roman raised his hands up in a sign of peace. “Alright…alright…lets start over. Where to begin? I know. How have you been Anakin? Fine? Good. Are you enjoying the cooler weather? You are! Good. Are you studying hard? Yes, you are? Excellent. Did you enjoy Obi-wan’s second debate? You did! Wonderful. Did you and my brother sleep together recently? Yes? No?”

Anakin couldn’t help but give a small shy laugh, only to shrug his shoulders again before replying softly, “I don’t want to go into detail.”

Roman leered slightly, glad to see Anakin coming back to his senses. “Oh please, spare me the details. I just want to make sure you’re doing okay.” 

Finally raising his warm, blue eyes so that he could look Roman squarely in the face, Anakin grinned warmly, giving Roman a look that he hadn’t seen on his face for a long time. Roman hated to admit it, but he was glad Anakin was finding a way to relax, even if it was with his brother. Besides, Roman couldn’t really say too much about Anakin’s behaviour since he knew he was just as pathetic these days.

“I’m more than okay. I promise. Obi-wan and I have been able to really connect these past few weeks and…yes…we’ve gotten closer,” Anakin said, allowing the blush to return to his cheeks.

“Well, I knew that was inevitable the moment you agreed to work with him and his campaign. I’ve known for awhile now that you’ve always held a flame for my brother and I’m happy for you. But quite frankly you could do better,” Roman was only half teasing but at the same time he wasn’t. Ever since he met Anakin, he wanted the best for him and he didn’t want anyone to ruin it. Including his half-witted brother who not only had no fashion sense, but rarely let people in, even those he was closest to. He wasn’t sure if Anakin had figured that out yet or not. 

Anakin looked down as he pulled the drain in the sink and let the water begin to filter out. Taking the tea towel Roman had handed him a few moments ago, Anakin slowly picked up a glass and began to dry it. Roman could tell Anakin was leading up to something just from his body language alone, so he waited. 

“Do you have a few minutes,” Anakin asked in a serious tone. 

“Anything for you baby bird,” Roman leaned across the counter and waited as Anakin set one glass down and picked up another to dry it. The task seemed to be centering Anakin, and Roman was glad because he could only assume that whatever Anakin had to say was serious.

“Obi-wan is…he’s becoming a big part of my life Roman and…” at this Anakin frowned slightly, as though what he had to say was worrying him. Before Anakin could continue Roman sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair.

“Let me guess. You’re afraid that the closer you get to Obi-wan the further apart you and I will become.”

“Well I wasn’t going to say it in those words, but I suppose that’s it…yes…”

“You don’t need to worry about such trivial things baby bird. What my brother and you do in your spare time is not my problem,” at this Anakin put down the glass he had been drying and leaned down so he could place his elbows on the counter, mirroring Roman’s pose.

“You and I both know that’s not true Roman. I’m asking you in all honesty if you’re okay with me potentially dating your brother.” At this Roman lifted his eyebrows in surprise, even as he could feel his fingernails begin to tighten against the palm of his hands.

“Date my brother? What makes you think that would bother me?” Although Roman could hear himself speak the words, he could feel himself begin to tense and knew he was lying about not letting the idea bother him. Anakin clearly saw right through him because he gave Roman a look as if to say _you’ve got to be kidding me_. Not giving up, Anakin kept going. “That’s the thing Roman. You’ve never been open and completely honest about what happened between you and Obi-wan to make you both hate each other so much. Maybe I need to know what exactly happened, so I know where you’re coming from and how to make both you and Obi-wan a part of my life.” 

Roman couldn’t help but get defensive as he stared down Anakin, “and why pray tell should I be so open and honest with you now of all days?”

Anakin didn’t flinch as he said softly, “because I’m falling in love with your brother.”

Roman swallowed thickly as what felt like a small lump began to form in his throat. He could feel the warning signs of a panic attack flaring up, something he hadn’t experienced since Qui-gon entered his life, but instead of showing his usual dramatic side he took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair as he watched Anakin begin to look weary as he waited for his response.

Right then and there Roman knew he was out of options. It was time to come clean if this is where Anakin and Obi-wan were at. He wanted to protect Anakin, but at the same time he knew that Obi-wan made him happy, so he had no choice. 

“Well now…that changes everything,” he said as kindly as possible. Anakin seemed surprised at his response, but his eyes lit up eagerly for Roman to continue. Roman couldn’t help but smile on the inside at how much Anakin wore his emotions on his sleeve.

“Okay…well…what can you tell me?” Anakin shifted from one foot to the other and let Roman have the floor, as though he didn’t want to push his luck and would wait for however long it took for Roman to have this conversation with him. 

“First…let me make myself a drink,” Roman made to get up from his chair but stopped moving when he felt Anakin’s warm hand on his arm. “Let me make it for you. Something tells me I’m going to need something too,” Roman let himself relax against Anakin’s grip on his arm.

“Just making sure I drink something heavy, so I spill my guts, are we?”

Anakin smirked over his shoulder as he reached for the vodka bottle. “More like I’m making sure you don’t get distracted and leave without saying anything.” Roman didn’t say anything to that. Anakin was right. He would get distracted, and in all honesty, he didn’t want to. Now seemed like as good a time as any to come clean with Anakin about his relationship with Obi-wan. He had opened up quite a bit with Qui-gon the night he slept with him, and now seemed like as good a time as any to open up even more to Anakin, whom he felt he could be very honest with. Deep down, Roman could feel himself moving towards a new path in life, and he didn’t want to fuck it up. Something was telling him to get it out in the open so he could move on, and Roman wanted nothing more lately than the opportunity to move forward.

_Damn you Qui-gon_ Roman sighed inwardly.

Placing a stiff drink in front of him, Anakin came out from behind the bar and sat on the chair beside him, waiting for Roman to start as he took a long sip of his own drink. 

“I thought you said you needed something strong too,” Roman pointed towards Anakin’s glass, which suspiciously looked like nothing more than pop. Anakin smiled slightly, “I waved the rum bottle over top of it. I’m sure that will do.”

“Cheers,” Roman brought his glass forward and Anakin did the same so they could clink their glasses together. Taking one more long sip, Roman began.

“As you know, Obi-wan and I come from a wealthy family,” Roman watched from the corner of his eye as Anakin turned his chair towards him, giving him his undivided attention.

“Our parents weren’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type. I’m sure they liked us to a certain point but having us around constantly, sometimes getting in their way wasn’t up their alley,” Roman could feel his eyes fixating on a spot on his glass as he continued to speak. Glancing up quickly at Anakin, he saw the boy frown slightly. Roman didn’t blame him. Even though Anakin had his own painful past, it wasn’t until Anakin’s mother died. Before that Roman was sure Anakin came home to a warm, loving household every night. That was partially why he had been so devastated when she passed away. 

“I don’t remember too much about my parents, until Obi-wan was born that is. Being five years older, I was fascinated with him when my parents brought him home. He seemed to be a bright light in an otherwise sorry household, but you wouldn’t know there were any children at all looking at my parents. They ignored Obi-wan as much as they did me, leaving us to the care of nannies and butlers.”

Roman took another sip of his drink, while Anakin stayed silent, watching him with his intense blue eyes.

“Don’t feel too sorry for me. Our nannies and butlers were just fine. I got to do what I wanted, which suited me quite well as you can imagine.”

Finally, Anakin spoke, “I can only imagine. Did Obi-wan do the same?”

Roman put his drink down and ran his pointer finger along the rim of the glass, “well…this is where things go downhill. Obi-wan…he…he never really cared to be near our parents, nor I for that matter. While I was off disobeying rules and getting into trouble as a young child, Obi-wan went off on his own, reading books, playing by himself, ignoring everyone. It would tick me off every once in awhile when he would ignore me in favour of being alone, so I’d…poke the bear…so to speak, just to get a reaction from him. Finally, he would get mad enough and we’d fight like any siblings.”

“What did you do to annoy him,” Anakin asked genuinely.

“Oh, any number of things. Pin him to the ground until he got so frustrated, he’d strike out, chase him around until I found his hiding spot and then demolish it, take his favourite book, and hide it from him. My favorite memory is of me chasing him to the nearest forest which surrounded our parents estate and him getting lost in the woods for hours, until finally one of our butlers found him curled up on the forest floor…and…” Roman stopped as he saw the look of horror on Anakin’s face.

Roman coughed into his fist, “errrmmm…you could say I’ve grown up since then. I wouldn’t do that now.” Anakin seemed unconvinced so Roman continued on.

“It wasn’t until we were teenagers that things started to get really dicey. Our parents were always holding galas, parties, and various soirees of high society. When I was sixteen and Obi-wan was eleven we were allowed to attend our first event. It was a charity event and our parents spent the entire evening parading us around, asking us to meet various people, getting us to answer numerous questions. It wasn’t until years later that I understood what our parents were doing. They were testing both Obi-wan and I to see how we would do around their people.”

“How did you and Obi-wan do,” Anakin whispered, as though he already knew the answer.

Roman gave a breathy laugh, “Obi-wan failed spectacularly. Even at eleven he wanted nothing to do with it, whereas I not only enjoyed it, but _loved_ it. I knew from that day forward that I wanted in. I’d always enjoyed the luxuries our family provided and knowing now how I could get in to make it continue was exciting. So, after that I started working for the family business. I started to work my way up and did so quickly because I wanted it all.” 

“But as I began working for the family, Obi-wan began to be left alone more than usual. After his performance at the party, my parents ignored him even more…if that was even possible…but now even our house staff seemed to turn a blind eye towards him. He might not have minded at first, but by the time he left for University, you could tell he didn’t like being ignored and truly felt as though he didn’t matter.”

“Poor Obi-wan,” Anakin whispered as he looked down at his coke sadly, before taking a small sip.

Roman grimaced. “Yup. Poor Obi-wan. Anyways, working in the family business opened many doors for me, but it also allowed me to witness the rest of my parent’s affairs. Not only were they involved in drugs, but I found out fairly quickly that they were also involved in money laundering, various frauds, and so on. But that didn’t bother me so much as Obi-wan leaving for University did.” 

“Why did it bother you?”

“Because Obi-wan never once bothered to try and work with me in the family business.”

“Why would you want Obi-wan to join you in something you knew was corrupt? Especially when you know Obi-wan would never be happy there?” 

“Because we were still family! While growing up Obi-wan always treated me like I was something he found at the bottom of his shoe. I had hoped he would join the family business and let me do the behind the scenes stuff, while he worked his magic and built the company up. I thought…call me crazy…but I _thought_ we would work well together if given the chance.” 

Anakin gave Roman a weary look. “I wouldn’t call you crazy, but you have to understand why Obi-wan wouldn’t want to do that after being left to feel abandoned his whole life up to that point!”

Roman smiled wearily, “I get that…to some extent…but what Obi-wan doesn’t know is that I stopped my parents from going after him on numerous occasions.”

Anakin seemed genuinely surprised, “what do you mean _go after him_?”

“They wanted both of their sons in the family business one way or another. What I just said before about Obi-wan and I working together was the happy scenario I dreamed up when I was alone and feeling sorry for myself. What my parents wanted was a completely different story. They wanted to make it difficult for Obi-wan… buy him off with money or threats…or buy off enough higher ups that it would be hard for Obi-wan to do anything else but be in the family business...even the very idea of him going off to University was up in the air until I stepped in.”

“What did you do,” Anakin’s eyes had gotten wider and wider as Roman continued on with his story.

“I became so good at what I did that eventually my parents stopped asking for Obi-wan. They knew they had enough in me. I also made it easy for Obi-wan to leave. He was already feeling unwanted, so I sweetened the deal by forging a few documents and I took Obi-wan’s inheritance right from under him.”

“You didn’t!”

Roman rolled his eyes at Anakin’s naivety, “oh get off it! For fuck sake of course I did! Obi-wan was pathetic in my parent’s eyes. He may have wanted nothing to do with them, but they didn’t feel the same way when it came to the family business. Therefore, the best way to make Obi-wan disappear for good was to take everything from him and have him be completely on his own. You and I both know Obi-wan is good at negotiating, making friends, getting what he needs. He’s doing just fine by the looks of things!”

“But you didn’t know that at the beginning! You only say that because Obi-wan is successful now!”

“Do you honestly think I didn’t keep tabs on him while he was off gallivanting around various campuses?”

That seemed to stop Anakin for a moment, “did you?”

Roman rubbed his face with both hands, suddenly exhausted. “Yes, I did. I may have taken Obi-wan’s inheritance, but I made sure to keep an eye on him just in case. That’s how I got to know Victor. He did a great job of telling me where Obi-wan was anytime I asked.”

Anakin seemed appeased by this and took a deep breath before continuing, “alright, so Obi-wan didn’t follow suit with you and your family. You got involved in your parent’s business and did stuff that you’re still involved with today.”

Roman nodded his head before speaking the one thing he had been hesitating mentioning until now, “all except one…”

Anakin didn’t say a word as he waited for Roman to continue, “turns out my parents also liked to take care of their enemies. Anyone who went against them or stopped them from being the best of Coruscant, got what they asked for.”

“What did your parents do,” Anakin uttered, as though he seemed too afraid to ask. Roman knew there was no point in delaying the inevitable. He had to get it off his chest.

“They killed them Anakin. Disfigured them and let them live at best, dismembered them and peeled off their faces at worst,” Roman slammed back the rest of his drink upon finishing his statement. He was afraid to look back at Anakin but had no choice when he heard Anakin let out a small gasp.

“Jesus Roman… _fuck_ …I…” Anakin’s mouth gaped open and he struggled to say anything, wide blue eyes fixated on something in the distance. Roman waited a few more seconds, knowing what was about to come, waiting for the inevitable question.

“Were you…don’t tell me you ever…did you…” Anakin asked breathlessly but stopped the moment he saw Roman’s sad look.

“Twice. I won’t go into detail, but it wasn’t pleasant.”

Anakin turned pale, “please tell me you never…not here…”

Again, Roman had to let the kid down. He lifted one finger up, “only once. It was the last time. Long before I knew you.”

“What…what made it the last time,” Anakin was slowly getting some of his color back, but barely.

“Turns out it was someone Obi-wan knew. The guy was bad news, so don’t go feeling too sorry for him but when I found out about the connection, I knew it had to stop. The people I was hurting were getting too personal and besides, I didn’t like ruining my expensive suits,” Roman’s attempt at humour was met with a deafening silence as Anakin placed both elbows on the counter and grabbed his hair with both hands.

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

Roman flew off his chair and grabbed the nearest bucket he could find, running back towards Anakin who took it from him and threw up whatever contents were in his stomach. Roman was at a loss as to what to do next, so he waited patiently as Anakin heaved one more time before handing him a glass of water. If he were the reason Anakin was sick, the least he could do was give him something to feel better.

Anakin barely looked up as he placed the bucket on the counter, pushing it away from the both of them in case the smell came back their way. Roman was happy to see more color coming back to Anakin’s cheeks, and even though Anakin had yet to say anything more, when he glanced in Roman’s direction, Roman was relieved that he saw no change in the way Anakin’s eyes still shone kindness at him.

Roman hadn’t lost him. 

“Does Obi-wan know about this,” Anakin’s voice was hoarse as he spoke softly. 

Roman’s tone was sharp, “no he does not, and I don’t intend to tell him. Ever.”

“Are you ever going to tell him the rest? About you being groomed to take over the family business? About your parents thinking Obi-wan was useless? About tracking him? About… _wait_ …that’s why you’re helping him with his campaign isn’t it? You want to give back what you took?

Roman tapped his nose, “bingo.”

Anakin took a big sip of water, looking away as though contemplating his next step. “This is…this is a lot to process you know. Are you ever going to come clean?” 

Roman contemplated Anakin’s question for a long moment, but deep down he knew the answer.

“Yes, I will come clean after the election.”

_Damn you Qui-gon and your ability to make me feel things…_

Anakin seemed surprised by Roman’s quick response, “what made you decide on that?”

“Somebody I know who is teaching me how to be a kinder, more honest individual,” Roman said vaguely, but nearly fell off his chair as Anakin said softly, “you mean Qui-gon.”

Now it was Roman’s turn to be shocked.

“What makes you think that?!”

Anakin looked at him compassionately, “I saw you and him you know. At Obi-wan’s debate. I saw you holding hands.” Roman quickly thought back to Qui-gon’s behaviour that afternoon as Roman got closer and was suddenly pushed away. He had probably seen Anakin looking their way and had gotten scared. Roman closed his eyes at the memory. Of course! It was all making sense now.

“Well, the big secret is out of the bag. But this time it’s not my fault when I say Obi-wan can’t find out! It’s not my fault you saw us and figured things out. You’re too smart for your own good sometimes baby bird.” Roman was relieved to hear Anakin’s twinkling laughter as the boy got off his chair and took the bucket behind the bar to dump its contents in the garbage. It was nice to have things slowly come back to normal after their conversation.

“Alright, I won’t blame you for this one. But I can’t keep it a secret from Obi-wan forever. Any chance you and Qui-gon are going to come clean sometime soon?”

Roman stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, feeling suddenly shy. He had been enjoying keeping…whatever this was…between he and Qui-gon a secret. It was fun. It was exciting, and quite frankly he didn’t want Obi-wan ruining it for him by telling Qui-gon to give him up. He needed to come clean with Obi-wan first about what he had just told Anakin and then…once the campaign was over…he and Qui-gon would sit Obi-wan down and tell him about their rendezvous…relationship…whatever it would be by that point.

Roman opened his mouth to explain this to Anakin when the door to the bar opened and in walked the very person they had just been talking about.

“Qui-gon!” Roman said excitedly as the tall man came through the doorway, looking like a dream in tweed. Roman was seriously lovesick if he thought tweed was the be all end all. 

Anakin’s head whipped around as he finished placing the now clean bucket under the sink, smiling conspiratorially at the two of them, as though he was in on a big secret. Before he could say hello, Anakin watched as Roman danced over to Qui-gon who looked slightly embarrassed as Roman wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss.

Qui-gon’s eyes widened as Roman refused to let go, even as he gently placed his large hands on his upper arms and began to pull away, causing Roman to latch on even harder. It wasn’t until Roman had run out of air that he let Qui-gon go, but not very far.

Seeing his lovers look of fear as he looked towards Anakin with weary eyes, Roman gave a small snort before gently cupping Qui-gon’s cheek in his left hand. 

“Don’t worry darling. Anakin saw us at Obi-wan’s debate. He knows.” 

Qui-gon could only give Roman a look of surprise before he let the other man lean in one more time and kiss him softly. Finally letting Qui-gon go, Roman stepped away from him but was delightfully surprised when Qui-gon took one of Roman’s hands softly in one of his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Hello Anakin,” Qui-gon bowed his head slightly in Anakin’s direction, making Anakin beam. “What brings you here Qui-gon,” Anakin asked.

“I thought I would surprise Roman by stopping by after work to see if he wasn’t too busy for a bite of supper at my place,” Qui-gon looked down at Roman before adding, “if he wishes to spend some time with me that is.”

Roman’s heart gave a stutter at Qui-gon’s words and could only dumbly nod his head yes. Upon seeing Roman’s response, Anakin moved towards the entrance of the bar and waved a quick good-bye, “well I’ll be off then. Have a good evening Qui-gon. Don’t keep Roman out too late. Roman…” Anakin waited for Roman to stop glaring at him before adding, “thanks for the talk,” before stepping through the doorway and leaving the two men behind.

Qui-gon waved at Anakin’s back before turning towards Roman once more and lifting the hand he was holding to his lips, kissing it softly.

“Shall we be on our way love?”

Once again, Roman could only nod his head in agreement. It has been quite the afternoon so far. Emotional and a bit of a blur. But the moment Qui-gon came in, Roman had felt himself relax. 

_God. This man._

Qui-gon was going to be the death of him. 

  
  



	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin and Obi-wan are together for the day and one thing leads to another, creating a momentous moment in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all for the comments and kuddos. They certainly keep me writing. I've been waiting to get to this part of the my story as lots is going to happen. But the angst train is just pulling out of the station! As always, enjoy!

Chapter 11

Obi-wan turned the collar up on his grey coat as he walked through the park, wind whipping around both him and Anakin. Obi-wan didn’t mind. Autumn had always been his favorite time of year, especially with the colors in the trees and crisp, cool air. Maybe it had something to do with the change in temperatures and not feeling as sluggish, or maybe it had to do with the fact that this season always reminded him of his younger days when he was a fresh-faced University student, making a life of his own, beginning new adventures and becoming his own person.

Whatever it was, Obi-wan couldn’t help but look up at the bright blue sky and take in all of the changing colors of the leaves around him. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell in the air. Maybe it was time for he and Qui-gon to go to the Farmer’s Market and buy the supplies they needed to make some apple pies for his staff. It was an annual tradition, and it would be a good excuse to spend some time with his friend. Both he and Qui-gon had been so busy lately that they hadn’t had much time to talk about what was going on in their lives at the moment…and Obi-wan could really talk to his friend right now…if his stomach being twisted up in knots for days wasn’t a clear enough sign. 

Obi-wan looked to his right and watched as Anakin put his hands in the pockets of his coat and pulled out a pair of woolly black gloves. Obi-wan would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the rosy hue in his cheeks that had appeared a short while ago. The man was effortlessly beautiful on any given day, but today, dressed in his casual attire, fall coat pulled snuggly around him, golden curls glinting in the sunshine, rosy cheeks and soft smile, Obi-wan couldn’t help but feel his heart melt slightly at the sight.

Obi-wan’s stomach began to twist as he looked in Anakin’s direction.

After the events in his car a few weeks ago, both Obi-wan and Anakin were trying to find a way to spend as much time together as possible. Besides the odd make-out session here and there, or a few stolen kisses when nobody was looking, nothing else had transpired between the two of them besides getting to know one another better, and for what it was worth, Obi-wan couldn’t be happier. He liked it when things happened organically, rather than forced, and he wasn’t about to push Anakin any faster than he was willing to go. Besides, Obi-wan wasn’t too sure himself how fast he wanted this to progress with Anakin. The young man was working for him and his campaign for starters, and Obi-wan knew the press would have a field day if they found out he was dating a younger man. Palpatine was doing everything he could to get under Obi-wan’s skin as it was, and he didn’t want Anakin to become a part of it. Obi-wan simply wanted to make things as easy as possible for Anakin and didn’t want to scare him away too soon. Based on Obi-wan’s past, it didn’t take much for his lovers to ditch him when things got too difficult.

Obi-wan was willing to go slow. Besides, he was learning so much about Anakin as the days wore on, that even if he tried to become not attached, Obi-wan found himself becoming increasingly devoted to the younger man as each day went on.

Obi-wan and Anakin were certainly different people, but that didn’t stop either of them from seeking each other out when they could.

For starters, Obi-wan had learned how to keep most of his emotions close to his chest since he was a young boy, but Anakin was the exact opposite. Anakin always wore his emotions on his sleeve and was more than happy to tell others how he was feeling, especially when he was angry or upset. When Obi-wan wanted quiet, Anakin burst through with energy and sunshine. It would have annoyed him in the past, but Obi-wan was quickly becoming smitten. This certainly didn’t help Obi-wan’s current stomach condition, but he wasn’t willing to let Anakin go just yet.

As these thoughts ran through Obi-wan’s brain, Anakin turned his head towards him and smiled the shy smile that Obi-wan had begun to notice more and more. Almost immediately, Obi-wan could feel his heart begin to race and he wanted to do nothing more but stop walking and kiss away whatever doubts clogged Anakin’s mind. But since they were out in public, Obi-wan didn’t want to make any kind of move which would be construed as a relationship by others, so instead he chuckled slightly and bumped his shoulder against Anakin’s in a playful manner. 

“What has you looking so thoughtful dear one,” Obi-wan tilted his head slightly to get a good look at Anakin and was happy to see the younger man’s blue eyes looking back at him with fondness, although Anakin had quirked one eyebrow up into his hairline as though pondering what to say to his question. 

“Just enjoying the day. Don’t want it to end,” Anakin murmured softly. Before Obi-wan knew what to say, Anakin took Obi-wan’s smaller hand in his large gloved one and held it tightly. Obi-wan could feel the heat of Anakin’s skin even underneath his woolly gloves, which made Obi-wan’s heart ache in a way he couldn’t explain. But he gave Anakin’s hand a gentle squeeze before letting go, looking slightly to his left and right to make sure nobody saw, completely missing Anakin’s surprised and somewhat crestfallen expression at his actions. Clearing his throat before speaking, Obi-wan smiled back at Anakin but it didn’t quite reach his eyes, worried as he was that somebody might have seen Anakin’s gesture of affection. Glancing around one more time, Obi-wan felt better when he saw that the park was fairly quiet at this time of day and nothing seemed out of sorts.

“What makes you think it has to end Anakin? We finished going to the neighbourhoods we needed to go to, and we have delivered the campaign fliers. We even spoke to the media about our next campaign date. Maybe we should go somewhere warmer to have something to eat. I think we’ve earned it.” Obi-wan meant every word too. He couldn’t have done it without Anakin’s help, and he needed to make sure the boy was taken care of before he had to say good-bye for the evening. 

To Obi-wan’s delight, Anakin’s face lost some of its sad expression as he smiled widely at him, “my mother would have liked you Obi-wan. She always made sure to stop somewhere to eat at least twice whenever we were out and about. She said it was part of the adventure.”

“Smart woman,” Obi-wan said delightedly, happy to have Anakin smile at another memory of his late mother. Instead of taking his hand like he had a few moments ago, Anakin leaned into Obi-wan’s personal space until his arm was faintly touching his, as though he needed Obi-wan’s presence to keep talking. Obi-wan was glad for the cool breeze on his face, as he blushed slightly at Anakin’s movements, picturing what Anakin’s golden skin looked like under his warm coat.

Obi-wan leaned in slightly, showing his support in more ways than words. Obi-wan wished for nothing more than to wrap Anakin up in his arms and let him take advantage of his cozy body as he talked about his mother, but until they were away from prying eyes he just couldn’t do it. Obi-wan waited for Anakin to continue as they both walked briskly through the park, turning their eyes away from one another as they walked down the path towards the exit. 

“She was the best,” Anakin said softly. “She always made things special for me, no matter what. But she really would have liked you Obi-wan. You’re smart, attentive, treat everyone with respect. She admired those things.”

Obi-wan could feel his cheeks flush harder at the praise. He still wasn’t used to Anakin giving him praise, and quite frankly he always took what other people said about him with a grain of salt. Obi-wan kept his gaze on the street ahead as Anakin turned his eyes towards Obi-wan one more time. Without breaking his stride, Anakin stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders, “she would have liked a lot about you Obi. Not to mention the fact that you’ve won the heart of her one and only son.” 

Obi-wan’s heart gave a giant lurch and his stomach flip flopped. 

Obi-wan immediately stopped walking and waited until Anakin noticed and stopped too, only to jog a few steps backwards to reach his side once more. Obi-wan couldn’t help the genuine laugh that escaped his cold lips as Anakin sheepishly looked at him with a small laugh. “I’m sorry if you aren’t ready to hear that Obi-wan, but…it’s the truth. My mother would have loved you and…” Obi-wan immediately stopped Anakin from saying another word by stepping closer to him and placing a hand on his chest. Obi-wan took in the feel of Anakin’s coat under the palm of his hand and knew without a doubt that he would always remember the feel of this material till his dying breath. 

“Don’t apologize Anakin. I…I feel the same way,” Obi-wan said quietly, before removing his hand and letting it hang loosely at his side.

Anakin’s entire face lit up, “I was hoping so…I couldn’t be sure…I wasn’t positive…”

Obi-wan felt a small flash of guilt for making Anakin feel insecure, “I’m sorry if I made you feel unsure of yourself dear one. This is new territory for me. I’m not used to people wanting to be with me for long periods of time,” Obi-wan couldn’t help but give a slight self-deprecating smirk at that thought, but stopped himself from saying anything more when he saw Anakin’s look of sympathy. God, he hated it when people did that. But he could understand why Anakin would feel that way, and in some small way he was glad to have someone on his side besides just Qui-gon.

“Don’t feel too bad for me Anakin. Things have turned out alright, and I’m slowly beginning to realize I couldn’t be happier these days,” Obi-wan hoped Anakin knew what he was trying to get at, unable to say the exact words. He watched as Anakin lifted a hand from his coat pocket, hesitating slightly before reaching forward and brushing away a rogue piece of hair that had fallen out of place, probably from the wind. Obi-wan swallowed slightly as he felt the softness of Anakin’s gloves caress his forehead briefly. 

“Have you ever told anyone else about how you feel,” Anakin let his fingers trail down the side of Obi-wan’s face before placing his hand back into his coat pocket. Obi-wan was surprised by the question but said rather quickly, “only Qui-gon and now you. We’ve shared many things these past few weeks Anakin, I feel comfortable telling you that.” 

Anakin didn’t say anything else before asking, “have you ever thought about telling Roman?”

Obi-wan couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped, “not recently and I don’t think I will for a long time. Roman is busy with his life and I’ve made mine. The fact that I’ve allowed him into it as much as I have up to this point is enough for the time being.” Anakin gave a small nod in understanding, before moving his feet once more, and making his way back down the path. Obi-wan followed beside him, a little bit intrigued as to why Anakin would ask such a question. But he didn’t press him for more information. This wasn’t the time to think about his relationship with his brother. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with Anakin for the remainder of the evening without ruining it. 

As they left the park and hit the street right beside it, both Obi-wan and Anakin continued in companionable silence. Whatever heaviness Obi-wan had been feeling at the mention of his brother was short lived. Feeling light-hearted once more, Obi-wan pointed across the street, and waited until Anakin turned his head in the same direction. “There’s a sandwich shop just down there that’s very good. Both Qui-gon and I go there frequently. Care to go?” 

To Obi-wan surprise Anakin stopped walking and shook his head before saying, “no I don’t think so.” Suddenly feeling nervous, Obi-wan let his hand drop from where it was pointing, afraid that their discussion about Roman had left Anakin feeling defensive about his current employer…and dare he say it… _friend_. 

“Do you want to go back to my apartment?”

Obi-wan was taken aback by Anakin’s abruptness. He would have let out a garbled shout of amusement if he hadn’t been out in public, but Anakin had him pinned where he stood with his intense blue gaze. Anakin’s eyes were sincere as he watched for Obi-wan’s reaction, which up to this point had been for him to stand on the sidewalk with his mouth slightly ajar, with no words coming out, probably looking like a moron to any passersby who happened to cross their path.

But to be fair, it wasn’t like Obi-wan was accustomed to such propositions by handsome young men. 

Anakin waited patiently as Obi-wan processed what he was being asked. When Obi-wan was finally able to meet Anakin’s intense stare, he was happy to note that Anakin did not appear shy in that moment. In fact, Obi-wan was pleasantly surprised to see that Anakin looked surer of himself than he ever had before. The last time Obi-wan had seen Anakin look this way was when Obi-wan had asked him if he truly wanted to work for him, or if he had only been there because of Roman. 

“Your…your apartment,” Obi-wan stuttered.

“Yup. It’s nice and warm. There’s some things I’ve been dying to show you,” Anakin kept his face completely neutral as he continued to wait for Obi-wan to make a decision.

A million images flashed in Obi-wan’s mind at the thought of going back to Anakin’s apartment. Obi-wan knew this was a huge step for Anakin. The fact that Anakin was willing to do so, could only mean that their currently budding relationship was about to flourish and Obi-wan had better be sure he wanted it because someone like Anakin didn’t come around everyday. Obi-wan couldn’t help but picture walking into Anakin’s apartment and seeing pictures of his life before Obi-wan or Roman ever entered it. What furniture would he have? What things did he want to show Obi-wan? Obi-wan knew he loved to tinker with mechanics, so maybe there would be a huge pile of parts in the corner, waiting for Anakin to work his magic. What about his bedroom?

Oh God…his bedroom…

Obi-wan was glad Anakin couldn’t read his mind as certain images of Anakin wreathing and moaning on his bedspread came to the forefront of Obi-wan’s mind. 

Before he could think things through anymore, Obi-wan nodded his head. “Yes. I would love to go to your apartment,” Obi-wan’s heart melted as Anakin gave him a bright smile, his eyes sparkling before him. “Excellent! Follow me!”

Anakin quickly began to walk away down the sidewalk, leaving Obi-wan with his mouth hanging open at Anakin’s energy. “Anakin!” Obi-wan shrieked as the younger man moved away from him, and without looking back, brought his left arm up to make a _come-on_ motion with his hand. Obi-wan huffed as he moved quickly along the quiet sidewalk towards the man who was slowly becoming his one and only, but who still made him crazy at times.

“Anakin! Do slow down dear one. What’s the rush,” Obi-wan was quickly running out of breath as he tried to keep up with Anakin’s long strides. Anakin’s long legs were usually things to marvel at, but at this moment in time, Obi-wan wasn’t so sure. He quickened his pace slightly to keep up with him. Upon seeing Obi-wan catching up, Anakin slowed down slightly and smirked at the smaller man beside him.

“Just excited to show you my place. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile,” Obi-wan tongue felt heavy as he took in Anakin’s words.

 _Honestly_ …

What was with Anakin saying all the right things to get Obi-wan going today?

Both Obi-wan and Anakin didn’t say anything more as Anakin stopped suddenly at a small red brick building, which seemed to be almost hidden between the various shops that surrounded it on each side. Obi-wan looked up and saw clean windows and balconies, before taking in the large steps which took them up to a black door with a brass doorknob, which Anakin was currently placing his key into. Obi-wan didn’t want to admit it, but knowing that Roman had a hand in helping Anakin pick out a proper apartment after they met made him feel somewhat proud of his older brother. Roman’s choice looked to be a fine one, and the fact that it made Anakin happy, made Obi-wan happy too. 

Anakin was certainly being looked after by Roman. Despite the fact that Obi-wan still believed there were ulterior motives behind his actions, he was happy that Anakin was in a safer part of town and seemed to be in a nice establishment. Obi-wan watched as Anakin unlocked the main door and held it open for Obi-wan. Upon entering the building, Anakin gave him a small smile before he started to climb the stairs. Anakin’s head hung low and his eyes were downcast as he made his way up. Obi-wan could only hope that Anakin wasn’t starting to have self-doubts about asking Obi-wan to his place. From their previous discussions, Obi-wan knew how special Anakin’s apartment was to him. It was a place where he could escape from the pressures of daily life and where he could just be himself. It was the one thing that Anakin worked hard to keep and in a way, Obi-wan knew how he felt, for he had felt the same way when he rented his first apartment after finally making some money, and it was how he still felt about his cottage with Qui-gon. 

Anakin stopped on the third floor and turning to a door on his left he placed another key into the slot. Obi-wan waited quietly behind him, anticipation starting to curl its way into his belly. He had been waiting for this moment; to be able to catch a glimpse of Anakin’s life that nobody else got to see. Anakin opened the door and Obi-wan was immediately hit with a blast of warmth. He gave an outward sigh of relief, taking his hands from out of his pockets and rubbing them gently together to warm them up. Anakin dropped his keys in what sounded like a glass dish by the front door, before turning on a small lamp to give them a better chance to see one another.

Obi-wan took in the front entrance and smiled towards Anakin. It was exactly as he had imagined it. Small, full of things that Anakin obviously held dear. A soft looking couch sat in his sitting room, where newspapers and what could only be an old glass of orange juice sat on the coffee table. Numerous books lined his shelves and Obi-wan couldn’t wait to see what books Anakin chose as his favorites. Obi-wan opened his mouth to express his delight when out of nowhere he was slammed against Anakin’s apartment door and a warm mouth glued itself onto his.

Obi-wan let out a surprised muffled squeak before realizing what Anakin was doing and let himself melt into the kiss. Obi-wan took a deep breath in through his nose, almost dizzy from the smells that surrounded him, including the scent of Anakin, which was becoming his favorite part of his day. Getting lost in Anakin’s passionate kiss, it took Obi-wan a few moments before he had the strength to gently place both hands on Anakin’s chest and slowly push him away. Anakin let out a soft moan as he lost contact with Obi-wan’s lips and opened his lust filled eyes to look at him.

Obi-wan let his forehead touch Anakin’s to let him know he wasn’t being pushed away for good.

“What are we doing here Anakin,” Obi-wan was breathless, but happy that his voice came out steadier than he felt. He had to know what Anakin was thinking before he continued. 

“Anything you want Obi-wan,” Anakin replied quickly as he tried to lean in again, but Obi-wan’s hands stopped him for continuing any further.

“As much as I would love nothing more Anakin, you have to tell me what exactly it is you want.”

Anakin moved his forehead away from Obi-wan with an inquisitive look on his face as though he didn’t quite understand what Obi-wan was asking. Instead of answering right away, he wrapped his long arms around Obi-wan’s shoulders before gently placing a kiss on Obi-wan’s neck. Obi-wan couldn’t help the whimper that escaped him as Anakin burrowed against him.

“I want whatever you want Obi-wan. I asked you here to spend the night with me because I…I...” Obi-wan couldn’t help but laugh breathlessly as Anakin stopped talking and brought his mouth up to nuzzle the top of Obi-wan’s hair. Anakin sounded nervous, and Obi-wan wanted to comfort him, so he decided to break the tension by asking, “is that what you meant when you said you wanted to show me a few things?”

To Obi-wan’s delight Anakin giggled. If Obi-wan had had his wits about him, he would have rolled his eyes at how cheesy they were behaving with one another, but right now he couldn’t care less.

“I guess I wanted you to see my apartment at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew I wanted you tonight,” Obi-wan let one of his hands wander into Anakin’s hair and he pulled on it slightly so that Anakin would lean his head down and look at him directly. Upon seeing Anakin’s blue eyes, Obi-wan had never seen them look so bright as they did at this very moment. Without hesitating, Obi-wan whispered against Anakin’s mouth, “show me what you were thinking about Anakin.”

Before Obi-wan could take in another breath, Anakin was crushing his mouth onto his once more and Obi-wan let himself be washed up in Anakin’s emotions at that very moment. 

Obi-wan didn’t know how much time had past since he had told Anakin to do whatever he wanted to him, but before Obi-wan knew it, Anakin was pulling away, gasping for air as he took a few steps backwards, while tossing his sweater and shirt over his head, giving Obi-wan the perfect view of his upper body. Obi-wan’s mouth was suddenly very dry as he began to think about all the different things he wanted to do to the man before him, but before he could act on anything, Anakin took another step back and abruptly tripped over something. Flaying about, long arms and legs reminding Obi-wan of a young deer trying to catch its footing on ice, Anakin caught himself against the doorway to his bedroom.

Anakin looked up; embarrassment clearly written all over his face before he burst out laughing. Obi-wan couldn’t help but start to giggle at the sight of “sex on legs” Anakin, nearly tripping over himself in his own apartment. Obi-wan’s heart soared as their laughter rang throughout the small room. Never before had Obi-wan felt so lighthearted before going to bed with someone, and it was that thought alone which made Obi-wan’s heart feel like it had stopped beating. Obi-wan’s stomach gave a final lurch as he gave a brief thought to the fact that whatever was happening between him and Anakin wasn’t just a budding relationship. After tonight, Obi-wan knew it was going to be something far greater, and Anakin wasn’t about to let him go anytime soon.

As their laughter died away, Obi-wan watched as Anakin wrapped his arms around himself, as though suddenly self-conscious. Obi-wan let himself slip out of his own coat, tossing it to the floor, and slowly walked towards Anakin, deliberately avoiding the spot Anakin had tripped on, while undoing his shirt. As he undid the last button, he tossed it to the floor, inwardly delighted at the way Anakin’s eyes racked over his body and began to widen. Before Anakin could say anything, Obi-wan had reached him and began to undo Anakin’s pants, only to have the younger man flinch as Obi-wan’s cold fingers touched his stomach.

“I’m sorry dear one,” Obi-wan whispered softly as he stopped moving his hands and leaned up to kiss Anakin instead. He could feel Anakin’s smiling mouth against his own as they kissed each other delicately, both not wanting to do anything more and somehow break the spell.

“I’ve never laughed like this before sex you know. I’m usually barrelling through the motions,” Anakin whispered. Obi-wan immediately pulled away from Anakin’s mouth and wrapped his cold hands around Anakin’s warm ones. Anakin began to rub his fingers slowly against Obi-wan’s skin without hesitation, and Obi-wan was taken aback at how quickly Anakin knew what he needed without being told.

“I think this time is going to be different for you Ani,” Obi-wan leaned in one more time for a quick kiss before pulling himself away, along with his hands, to begin removing the rest of Anakin’s clothes. The moment Anakin was naked, Obi-wan finished undressing himself and soon both men were standing naked in front of one another. Obi-wan wet his lips as he took in Anakin’s golden skin.

“You’re stunning Ani,” Obi-wan said genuinely.

“Obi…” Anakin said breathlessly as he reached for him once more and began to kiss him intensely. Anakin’s hands roamed Obi-wan’s entire body and Obi-wan was more than happy to let him. He melted into Anakin’s touch, feeling how gentle Anakin’s fingers were as they explored. Obi-wan could feel Anakin’s excitement against his thigh and thrust up slightly to rub his own cock again his. Anakin let out a small gasp against Obi-wan’s mouth, only to moan as Obi-wan, feeling brave, stuck his tongue inside Anakin’s mouth and began to do his own exploring.

Once more, time slipped by and Obi-wan was at a loss as to how much time had passed before Anakin was pulling away. If it were up to Obi-wan, he would have happily stayed there, pressed against Anakin in the hallway, caressing and feeling each other. Taking one of Anakin’s hands into his own, he slowly dragged him into his own bedroom. Obi-wan took it upon himself to turn on a side lamp beside the bed, so that he could see the beautiful man before him. Anakin seemed to be a bit dazed as he watched Obi-wan arrange himself on his bedspread, making himself comfortable before laying down. Letting out a gentle puff of air, Anakin moved and laid down beside him. For the first time since they started this dance, Obi-wan could sense that Anakin was nervous. If possible, Anakin looked more handsome than ever and Obi-wan couldn’t believe this man had chosen him to take to bed.

“Tell me what you’re thinking dear one,” Obi-wan whispered and Anakin’s eyes immediately found his. Instead of answering, Anakin laid himself on top of him from chest to toes, before placing both hands on either side of Obi-wan’s head. Anakin began to move his lower half again Obi-wan, making him gasp in pleasure. Obi-wan’s hands immediately went up into Anakin’s hair and grabbed on as tightly as he could as Anakin continued his movements, slowly building momentum.

“Do you remember what I told you in the car,” Anakin spoke softly as he continued to move against the man beneath him, letting his eyes close as he gasped out loud as Obi-wan moved one of his hands down towards his thigh and helped him move against him, slowly becoming lost in the moment. Obi-wan panted as he stuttered, “yes…yes…oh fuck Anakin…” Obi-wan was slowly losing it, and even as he continued to chase the feeling, he knew he needed to stop so that he could do to Anakin what he had wanted to do for a long time.

“I’ve never had anyone make love to me before,” Anakin whimpered as he stopped moving and waited until Obi-wan’s dilated eyes looked up at him. Obi-wan let his hand trail from Anakin’s thigh to his backside, where he let it rest. Anakin took a moment to gaze at Obi-wan’s face, as though he was searching for something. Obi-wan began to gently rub his hands up and down Anakin’s back. He would wait forever if that was what Anakin wanted. Not wanting to push him, Obi-wan lifted his head slightly from the soft pillow it had been resting on and rubbed his nose against Anakin’s face sweetly.

Not wanting to sound crude, but not knowing how else to say it, Obi-wan let go of Anakin completely, smiling gently at the way Anakin seemed to follow him slightly as though he didn’t want to let Obi-wan go. Obi-wan took a deep breath, “then be the one to fuck me tonight Anakin,” Obi-wan mouthed against Anakin’s cheek. 

Anakin brought his head back slightly as he stared at Obi-wan in shock. Obi-wan wasn’t sure if Anakin was more surprised by his response, or by the fact that somebody was letting Anakin have a say in bed. Not wanting to think about that one too hard, Obi-wan continued to roam his hands up and down Anakin’s back, waiting for him to process what he had just admitted, noting that Anakin had never looked more radiant than he did at that very moment. Anakin said nothing as he leaned down and moved one of his hands towards Obi-wan’s cock to stroke it gently. Obi-wan let out a garbled gasp and held on tight.

“Obi-wan, thank you,” Anakin breathed before stroking him with his warm palm. After that, everything became a blur except for soft touches and gentle pleas. Whether it was Anakin or Obi-wan himself who made the most cries were unknown to him as he allowed Anakin to devour him completely. Although Anakin lacked experience when it came to submitting himself to someone else, he made up for it with other things, leaving Obi-wan a sprawled-out mess on top of his bed. Obi-wan could only vaguely remember Anakin’s hot mouth as it travelled across his chest and nipped at his nipples, until it was against his cock as he used his tongue to get Obi-wan like a flame ignited with gasoline.

It wasn’t until Anakin fumbled with his fingers against his opening that Obi-wan took it upon himself to guide Anakin. Taking his fingers with his hand, Obi-wan gently showed Anakin how he liked to be worked open. Obi-wan knew in the deepest part of his heart that Anakin was acting unsure because he didn’t want to hurt Obi-wan in the process. Obi-wan could still see Anakin’s stunned face as he fit three fingers inside Obi-wan’s tight opening and made him shout loudly as he found the spot that made Obi-wan tilt his head back and cry out in delight. By this point Anakin was sweating at his temples as he worked Obi-wan open, while Obi-wan was left moving his head from side to side, speechless. 

Remembering how he got Anakin to scream the last time they ever did anything like this, Obi-wan used his expertise by taking Anakin by surprise and tumbling them over with whatever strength he had left so that Anakin’s back was against the bed and Obi-wan could straddle him. Taking Anakin’s long cock into his own mouth, Anakin gasped and cried out below him as Obi-wan familiarized himself with Anakin’s taste. It wasn’t until Obi-wan pressed one fingertip into Anakin’s puckered entrance that Obi-wan got Anakin to scream like before, and Obi-wan smirked slightly against Anakin’s stomach as he kissed him on his belly and continued to move his finger in and out of him, stopping only when Anakin was close to coming. Taking Anakin’s mouth in one more bruising kiss, Obi-wan flipped them back over, giving Anakin full access to do with him as he pleased once more.

From there on in, Obi-wan could only remember Anakin holding onto his hands as they rested against the bed and repeating his name breathlessly, until he finally entered him and broke him apart piece by piece. Obi-wan could slowly feel the ice that had been keeping his heart captive since he left his parent’s house, begin to chip away as Anakin took him twice in one evening. Obi-wan had never had such a vigorous lover as Anakin, and Anakin had proven it to him by thrusting into him relentlessly for most of the evening, until finally he was pounding into him, moaning and sighing his name as Obi-wan held on for dear life. By the end, Anakin was left panting wildly into his neck while Obi-wan grabbed onto any flesh he could find, tossing his head back and crying out in completion, only to have Anakin follow a few moments later, shaking and crying out into the pillow below him. 

As Obi-wan awoke the next morning, he could still feel Anakin’s hands on him as he moved slightly under the covers. Light had begun to filter through the curtains of Anakin’s bedroom. Obi-wan wasn’t certain, but it had to be early morning. With his mind still full of memories of the night before, Obi-wan opened one eye to look across the bed at Anakin, who was still snuggled in the blankets beside him, not moving far from Obi-wan’s body. After an entire evening of lovemaking, Anakin had finally collapsed beside Obi-wan while gasping for breath, and both men had immediately gotten chilly as their skin cooled from their rigorous activities, causing Anakin to get up and wrap both he and Obi-wan in a fuzzy blanket that he had in his bedroom closet.

Wrapping himself around Anakin the moment the blanket had been placed upon them, Obi-wan had never felt more content in his life. He was grateful when Anakin put his head on chest and breathed out a contented sigh. Obi-wan always felt a bit vulnerable after lovemaking and tonight with Anakin had been no different. In fact, it had been better than anything he had experienced before.

It wasn’t until Anakin started to softly caress Obi-wan’s hair with one of his hands that Obi-wan began to feel his usual anxiety start to creep back in. Obi-wan had always been perceptive, so he knew that whatever Anakin was thinking, he would soon say it aloud and it would be Obi-wan’s undoing.

Anakin sighed, “I don’t want this night to end Obi.”

Obi-wan didn’t say anything as he allowed himself to gently caress the top of Anakin’s back, waiting for his younger lover to say something more, or begin to drift off to sleep. Deep down, Obi-wan hoped that Anakin would drift off to sleep and allow him some time with his personal thoughts. Tonight had been so passionate and loving that Obi-wan needed some time to think things through. 

Anakin gave one more contented sigh before looking up and whispering, “I love you.” 

Obi-wan’s heart froze in his chest. 

Schooling his features as best as he could, he smiled down at Anakin, knowing that he must be feeling just as vulnerable as Obi-wan was feeling right now and he didn’t want to hurt him. Obi-wan knew he should have said something, or have said thank you at the very least, but instead he kissed Anakin gently on the lips before closing his eyes and letting Anakin continue to hold him, obviously believing that Obi-wan was already half asleep when he didn’t say anything in return. As Obi-wan felt Anakin fall asleep against him, Obi-wan laid on the bed wide awake, only able to get a couple of hours sleep. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Anakin…of course he did…Anakin didn’t say things unless he meant them.

But that was the problem. Anakin had just told him he loved him… _him_ …Obi-wan Kenobi…when others who he had dated for longer periods of time had never done the same. Obi-wan didn’t want to hurt Anakin through his actions, but he couldn’t trust that somebody would not use their relationship for their political advantage. Was Anakin willing to wait for him? Hugging Anakin slightly as he continued to think such things, Obi-wan finally fell asleep. But upon waking up, these thoughts and more came rushing back. Without giving himself more time to think, Obi-wan slowly moved himself closer to Anakin, and lifted a hand to slowly caress the younger man’s cheek. Obi-wan couldn’t help but drink in his fill of the man before him. Last night had been incredible and it was everything Obi-wan could have imagined as their first time together. So much so that Obi-wan wanted to curl up against Anakin and stay longer. But Obi-wan knew that if he stayed, he probably would never leave and Anakin probably wanted some time on his own to think things through, much like Obi-wan did.

Obi-wan quietly got out of the bed, trying his best not to disturb Anakin who only tucked his face deeper into the blankets upon losing Obi-wan’s body warmth. Obi-wan smiled at the image Anakin was creating and had to stop himself from jumping under the covers and taking him right there and then. But instead, he gathered his clothes in Anakin’s bedroom, and before tiptoeing towards the hallway to get the rest of his discarded garments, Obi-wan glanced over his shoulder one more time and took one more look at Anakin’s peaceful face peeking out from under the blankets. Obi-wan couldn’t help himself as he moved towards the bed and placed a soft kiss upon Anakin’s forehead.

Anakin didn’t stir.

Feeling somewhat nervous about leaving, Obi-wan quietly walked back towards the doorway and closed it gently behind him without a second glance, therefore not noticing as one of Anakin’s eyes opened and watched Obi-wan leave his apartment without saying goodbye. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long chapter, but necessary. Get ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An extremely long chapter, but fun to write. Thanks again to everyone who has given comments and kuddos. It means the world to me! As always, enjoy.

Chapter Twelve

Anakin stared down at his shoes, giving a small sigh as he sat on a park bench. Taking a quick look around, Anakin was glad to see that even though his mind was a minefield at the moment, everyone else was going about their daily lives. Turning up his coat collar, Anakin rubbed his gloved hands together. The weather had turned cold in the past twenty-four hours, but Anakin didn’t mind. Although he preferred warmer weather, the cool wind and sights and sounds of the park reminded him of happier times.

Like when he and Padme would walk through the park on their way to the University, laughing and talking about anything and everything, or when he would walk through the park on his way to the _Black Mask_ , looking forward to Roman’s antics. Or when he had been walking through the park a few weeks ago on his way to Obi’s campaign office to ask for a job. Or when…

Anakin stopped himself from going any further. He couldn’t bring himself to think of the last time he had been in this very park and who he had been with without feeling his stomach tighten up. Anakin’s frown deepened as he placed his head in his hands and zoned out by staring at his shoes. He knew he should get up and get moving because he had one place he had to get to, and yet it was the one place he didn’t want to go. He was expected at Obi-wan’s campaign headquarters before eleven o’clock and it was already past ten. He could call in sick, but home wasn’t really a place he wanted to be. Not after what happened the night before. Anakin’s cheeks flushed as images of their time together flashed in his mind.

_It’s not good to dwell on things Ani_ , his mother would always tell him and that’s exactly what she would be telling him now. She could always tell when Anakin was getting lost in his own thoughts and that reminder, along with her soft voice, would always bring him out of the thick of it. But she wasn’t here now. She couldn’t be a gentle guide for Anakin, she couldn’t be there for him, nor could she be a witness to the absolutely idiotic way Anakin behaved the day before. At least, he thought he behaved idiotically, for why else would Obi-wan leave in such a hurry if not to get away from the clingy young man who had said _I love you_?

Anakin hadn’t thought it was the wrong thing to say based on how he had been feeling, and how Obi-wan had been with him since that fateful day after the debate. Despite what the likes of Palpatine had said a few weeks ago regarding Obi-wan and his _political aspirations_ , Anakin had a hard time believing that was true. Obi-wan wasn’t that person. He was kind, considerate, and would never do something unless he thought it was right. Therefore, sleeping with Anakin last night was something Obi-wan had wanted to do because if he hadn’t, he would have told him no. Right?

Before Anakin could dwell on it any further, a pair of familiar black flats appeared before his eyes. Anakin couldn’t help but smile as the voice that belonged to the shoes spoke softly, “what has you sitting on a bench so lonely looking Ani? You can’t tell me our upcoming exams have you this worried!”

Padme’s twinkling laugh surrounded Anakin as the petite young woman sat beside him on the bench and bumped his shoulder gently with one of her own. Anakin let go of his head, sighing deeply before looking in her direction and giving her what he hoped was a genuine smile. Something must have shown on his face however, because Padme’s tiny smirk disappeared into something close to concern.

“Ani…what is it? You look like you’ve been brooding for hours!”

“What are you doing here?”

Padme smiled widely, “I thought I would get a coffee and take a bit of a stroll before heading to school. I need the break before my study session. So, what are you doing here?”

Anakin leaned against the park bench and Padme followed. Anakin put an arm around her shoulders as she shivered slightly due to the cool breeze that was making its way towards them. Rubbing her gloved hands together to get warm, Padme waited patiently for Anakin to begin speaking.

“It’s about me and Obi-wan.”

Padme’s tiny smirk slowly made its way back to her face, “oh really! Here I was thinking it was something dire. Alright Skywalker…tell me what happened…” Anakin knew Padme was teasing and it was nice. Anakin needed to lighten his mood and Padme always brought a smile to his face.

“We slept together…” Padme opened her mouth is shock and bumped his shoulder once more.

“Anakin! Then whey the long face?”

Anakin didn’t say anything for a few seconds, which caused Padme to assume the worst and her face started to darken, “did something bad happen Ani? Did Obi-wan hurt you? Did he force you to do something? Did he…” Anakin couldn’t help but shake his head at her and laugh softly.

“No…nothing like that happened. Why does everyone think I can’t take care of myself?!”

Padme looked away and instead focused her attention on the people across from them by the lake.

“We know you can take care of yourself Ani, but we also know you had to take care of yourself quite a bit growing up, due to no fault of your own, so we just want to make sure you aren’t hurt unnecessarily.”

Anakin’s arm squeezed her shoulders gently, “I’m assuming that by _we_ you mean yourself and Roman?”

Padme brought her gaze back towards the blonde and her kind-hearted smile made Anakin’s chest feel less constricted than it had been all day, “yes, and Victor too if I’m being honest. I may not like what Roman and Victor do, but they’ve taken care of you Ani and for that I’m happy.”

Anakin didn’t say anything, for he knew Padme wasn’t fully aware of his past, otherwise she wouldn’t be quite so forgiving of him. He also knew after speaking with Roman a few night ago, that she certainly didn’t know anything about his sordid past either. If she did, Anakin was afraid he would lose her too. 

“So…why the long face?”

Anakin spoke softly, “long story short, we spent an amazing night together. I told him afterwards that I loved him, and he didn’t return the sentiment. Then he left in the early morning when he thought I was still asleep.”

Padme’s face scrunched up as his words washed over her.

“Obi-wan did that? I’m…I don’t know what I’m feeling, but seriously Anakin…Obi-wan just left?” 

Anakin was happy to hear that Padme was just as confused about Obi-wan’s actions as he had been that morning. He could only shake his head in confirmation at Padme’s questions.

“Huh,” Padme whispered. 

Anakin’s sharp blue eyes immediately met her gaze as he regarded her quick reply. “What?”

Padme gave a soft sigh, “well it’s just…that doesn’t sound like Obi-wan at all…it sounds like he might have been scared Ani.”

“I guess I never thought of that.”

“Well you are quite intimidating, what with your blonde curls, blue eyes and lithe body,” Padme started to tease before Anakin rolled his eyes, “oh please Padme. Just stop.”

“Alright, alright. Then how about this. Obi-wan has feelings for you, and you obviously have feelings for him. Maybe…just maybe what you two shared was rather special for him…and so he left so he didn’t have to talk to you in the morning. You’ve told me all about your interactions with Obi-wan since you first started working for him. You have to admit that your relationship is anything but normal. You’ve both been drawn to each other since day one, and Obi-wan has let his guard down with you more than he has with anyone else from what I can tell. Maybe it was too much, but in a good way?”

Anakin let Padme’s common-sense wash over him and he instantly felt calmer.

“Maybe you’re right. I was thinking he was upset because I told him _I love you_.”

Before Anakin could register what was happening, Padme punched his arm hard.

“What the hell was THAT for,” Anakin yelled rubbing the spot below his shoulder that was now throbbing. He noticed a few heads turn in their direction, but he didn’t care. That hurt!

“Serves you right Ani. Of course that didn’t help! After everything I just said, do you honestly think Obi-wan would have taken anything other than _goodnight, see you later_ as intimidating?”

“Alright fine. So, if you’re right…”

“I’m always right…”

Anakin ignored her, “ _if_ you’re right…what do you suggest I do?”

At this Padme leaned closer to Anakin for warmth, “I don’t honestly know. Give Obi-wan some space? Wait for him to come to you?”

“Probably not the best of ideas since according to Roman, Obi-wan takes forever choosing a different brand of toothpaste.”

Padme turned her face upwards, “your knight in shining armour is a real worry wart, hey?”

Anakin smirked down at her, “you bet. Wouldn’t want him any other way. I like to think my impulsiveness helps balance out his worrying and vice versa.”

Padme leaned her head against his shoulder, “that’s a nice thought. Alright, so if that isn’t a good option, how about talking to him when you get to work? Find a moment that works when it’s just the two of you and tell him how you’re feeling Ani. No sense waiting it out.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Anakin whispered, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. That was exactly what he was going to do. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait to get to work and talk with Obi-wan. He just needed to get him on his own and they could talk things out. Obi-was was probably fretting with worry, and he just needed Anakin to remind him that even though he wasn’t ready to say _I love you_ back, Anakin wasn’t upset. 

“Well, now that your problems are settled, I have to make my way to the University to study for my upcoming law exam. Wish me luck!” Anakin let go of his dearest friend and watched as she straightened her coat and brushed some stray hairs out of her face.

“Thanks for your help Padme,” Anakin said sincerely as he himself got up from the bench and took a moment to straighten himself out.

“Anytime Skywalker. Call me later tonight, maybe we can hang out for a bit,” Anakin nodded his head and waved as Padme walked away. As Anakin watched her leave the park, he couldn’t help but feel, not for the first time, that he was lucky Padme was in his life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

“We really shouldn’t be doing this here,” Roman whispered breathlessly as Qui-gon nuzzled his neck and gave it a delicate kiss making Roman smile widely. Instead of getting a response back, Qui-gon kissed his way towards his ear before saying teasingly, “if you’re saying we shouldn’t be doing something I guess I have stop,” before turning his mouth towards Roman once more and giving him a deep kiss.

Roman whined as Qui-gon tried to pull away, stopping him from going any further by wrapping his arms tightly around his shoulders and keeping him close. It was a tactic Roman had used before and it worked, keeping Qui-gon’s body warmth nearby for a few seconds longer. Roman couldn’t help but smile against Qui-gon’s wet mouth as the man before him kept kissing him passionately, rather than stepping away. A few seconds later, Roman reluctantly relinquished his hold on Qui-gon as the taller man step away, catching his breath.

Qui-gon stared at Roman intently.

“Are you planning on stopping by tomorrow once you’re done at the club,” Qui-gon asked quietly as he continued to look at Roman softly, gently moving one hand to run through Roman’s hair. Under normal circumstances, Roman would have been pissed that his carefully styled hair was ruined due to inquisitive fingers, but because they belonged to Qui-gon he couldn’t care less.

“Won’t Obi-wan be home by then,” Roman questioned.

Qui-gon’s hand dropped and he took another step back from Roman so that he could look at him firmly. Almost immediately, Roman wanted to do or say anything to make Qui-gon come back into his personal space and not look at him as though he was upset.

“You know I don’t care if Obi-wan is home, Roman. You and I have talked about this already. I’m tired of hiding the fact that I’m in a relationship with you. I want to tell Obi-wan,” Qui-gon spoke in a hushed but direct tone, one that Roman knew from the last time this problem was brought up that Qui-gon was annoyed. Not at him so much as the situation itself.

Roman sighed dramatically, trying to ease the tension that was starting to creep its way into the storage room that both men currently found themselves in. Without stopping to think, Roman couldn’t help but say sarcastically, “is that what we’re calling what we do? A relationship?”

Roman suddenly wished he could take back what he just said judging from the hurt expression that crossed Qui-gon’s features. Roman had to look away, tapping his foot against the floor nervously. Wrapping his arms around his middle as though to protect himself from whatever was about to come his way, Roman bit his tongue to keep from saying anything else. He didn’t know what made him say such things, but sometimes he just couldn’t help himself. Qui-gon had done a lot to soothe his bruised ego and damaged sense of self, but he couldn’t fix everything, especially deep hurts that had left their scars years ago, including feeling like he would never be more than a quick fuck. 

Roman jumped slightly as he felt Qui-gon step closer and took one of his hands into his, only to bring it to his mouth and whisper, “is that what you truly think my love,” against his knuckles before giving his hand a small kiss and letting him go. Roman closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the wall behind him. Letting out a growl of frustration, Roman placed his hands on his hips and looked Qui-gon squarely in the face, who just so happened to be eyeing him with a somewhat amused look now.

“You know it’s not. It was a reaction based on me hearing my brother’s name. Sorry…” Roman meant what he said and knew that Qui-gon believed him as he smiled and Roman could feel his shoulders begin to relax.

“Then believe me when I say I don’t care whether Obi-wan finds out about us or not Roman. You and I are in a relationship and have been for a few weeks now, regardless of how we may have started…” at this Roman couldn’t help but give Qui-gon a small smirk before winking at him. Oh, he remembered how they started…they were quickly becoming fond memories…

“I’m getting tired of sneaking around and quite frankly the more we put it off the madder Obi is going to be when he does find out,” Qui-gon continued to speak gently.

At this sentiment, Roman couldn’t help the small, sad smile that flitted across his face. He knew that Qui-gon had seen it too, for his lover came even closer and placed a large hand on his shoulder for comfort.

“What is it my love?”

Roman swallowed against the lump forming in his throat at the endearment. He never would have guessed in a million years that he would find someone like Qui-gon who wanted him as badly as he did, and it was this reason alone that stopped Roman from arguing with Qui-gon. But Roman wasn’t a fool. He knew that if Obi-wan walked in on them with their arms wrapped around each other, or better yet, in bed together, this daydream would come to an untidy conclusion. For Roman believed that if Obi-wan found out about them it would only be a matter of time before he would make Qui-gon choose between their friendship or his romantic triste with his brother, and T=there was no point in assuming Obi-wan wouldn’t. Based on their past, Obi-wan had no other way of knowing that Roman was changing, that he wasn’t the brother he knew growing up. It would be easy for Roman to say that Obi-wan hadn’t given him enough time to prove himself, but why would he? Based on what Roman had done to him, Obi-wan had nothing to gain from spending time with his older brother.

Which was why Roman couldn’t be as confident about telling Obi-wan as Qui-gon was.

Knowing he was still waiting for an answer, Roman looked up at the ceiling and sighed dramatically, “you and I both know it won’t end well.”

“Whatever Obi-wan throws at us I’m sure you and I can handle it.” 

Roman looked at him wearily, “what makes you so sure he won’t actually throw something at us?”

To Roman’s surprise, Qui-gon laughed loudly, “like I said, I know we can handle it. Besides, it’s better that Obi-wan finds out from us rather than somebody else. That would just make things worse.”

Roman nodded his head in understanding, knowing deep down that Qui-gon was right. They had had this conversation before a few nights back, which only led to Roman leaving Qui-gon and Obi-wan’s cottage in a rush, feeling as though Qui-gon was forcing him to tell his brother about something that he wanted to keep secret. Roman watched as Qui-gon moved into his personal space once more with measured steps and wrapped him up in his arms. Roman let out a contented sigh as he felt Qui-gon’s body warmth wrap itself around him. He was becoming addicted to Qui-gon being so close to him whenever possible, and he didn’t care if that made him sound weak or not. This man before him was amazing.

“Alright, if you think it’s worth making all this fuss over our current situation I’ll follow along,” Roman stated with more confidence than he was feeling. He knew this wasn’t exactly what Qui-gon wanted to hear based on the way his eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but he didn’t dwell on it as Qui-gon leaned in once more and kissed him gently on the mouth.

“I will admit it will be nice not having to make out in dark storage rooms once the cat is out of the bag,” Roman said cheekily, enjoying the fact that it made Qui-gon laugh once more.

“Oh, I’m so sorry my love. Was my bedroom not sufficient enough? Or how about the rug by my fireplace? Or how about the time we couldn’t wait and made out in the entranceway of your club?”

Roman gave a small seductive laugh as he remembered every one of those instances, feeling his pants begin to tighten at the memories. Wrapping his arms around Qui-gon’s shoulders once more he couldn’t help but purr, “oh I recall each and every one of those times. But I think a refresher is in order.”

“With pleasure,” Qui-gon said fiercely before placing a hand behind Roman’s head and dragging his mouth to his. Roman melted under the intensity and was beginning to let himself be consumed by the man before him when suddenly he heard a loud _CRASH_ in the main area of his club and reluctantly pulled his mouth away from Qui-gon. 

Qui-gon must have heard it too for he let go of Roman slowly and raised one eyebrow in Roman’s direction, “did you hear that?”

Roman pulled away from Qui-gon and adjusted himself as he headed to the door of the storage room, and opened the door a little bit so that he could peer into the bar area to see what the commotion was all about. Roman couldn’t see anything at first. His natural instincts weren’t buzzing, which was a good sign, but something still wasn’t right. Qui-gon came up behind him and held the door for him so that Roman could stick his head out further and look around.

“I don’t see anything,” Roman whispered but instantly stopped himself when he saw Anakin come into view from behind the bar. Both Roman and Qui-gon stayed as quiet as they could as they watched Anakin reach up and grab a glass that was closest to him, before slamming it down onto the bar countertop. Before Roman could make out what kind of glass it was, Anakin reached across and grabbed the nearest bottle of alcohol before him, opening the screwcap, then pouring the white liquid into the tall glass.

“I didn’t think Anakin drank,” Qui-gon whispered in Roman’s ear. Roman could only nod his head in agreement before his feet were moving him out of the room. Something wasn’t right and he needed to see what it was that was bothering Anakin. Turning slightly to face Qui-gon’s concerned face he whispered, “he normally doesn’t. I’m going to check on him and see what’s wrong. Stay here.”

Qui-gon looked like he was about to protest before thinking better of it after glancing back in Anakin’s direction. Qui-gon stepped into the storage room and hid himself in the shadows. Roman didn’t say anything more as he turned around and kept himself hidden until the storage room door closed behind Qui-gon, so he could observe Anakin for a few more seconds.

Anakin seemed to be distressed, yet sure of himself as he sat the large bottle of what Roman now knew to be vodka and stared at the glass full of liquid. Anakin seemed to zone out for a moment as he looked at the glass, so it wasn’t until he took it in his hand and lifted it to his mouth that Roman made himself known.

“Good evening Anakin,” Roman said as happily, knowing deep down that Anakin was only moments away from losing it. He could tell from the tight way Anakin held himself together, and the way his shoulders were so tense that a small tremor seemed to be travelling throughout Anakin’s skin.

Anakin’s brilliant blue eyes zeroed in on him and to Roman’s surprise they hardened.

“Your brother is an asshole,” Anakin growled before standing up taller and lifting the glass to his mouth. To Roman’s astonishment he took a large gulp before grimacing and placing it down on the counter with enough force that he sloshed some of the liquid over the edge. Roman quickly made his way towards Anakin, making sure to keep himself as calm as possible, as though Anakin was a frightened animal. Roman had never seen Anakin like this, and it was beginning to scare him.

“If you’re looking for someone to correct you, I’m afraid it won’t be me,” Roman said with a small laugh.

“Yeah well, you warned me. You warned me against him, and I should have listened,” Anakin closed his eyes and shook his head as though he was disappointed in himself.

Roman’s eyes hardened, “what did my brother do?”

Anakin quickly frowned at Roman, “why does everybody do that? You aren’t the first one to immediately jump to the conclusion that Obi-wan did something to me today. Padme did it first,” Anakin growled as he snapped his fingers in the air, as though thinking of something and grabbed another bottle of liquor.

“She also told me I should go and find Obi-wan at work and speak to him one on one. Hard to do when the man you love won’t even look at you let alone let you speak to him on his own!”

Roman’s eyes narrowed as he tried to follow Anakin’s random thoughts. Whatever it was that Obi-wan had done, it was making Anakin distressed and Roman didn’t like it. He watched as Anakin opened up the second bottle of liquor and made to take a drink straight from the bottle. Before Roman could think about it, he shot forward and snatched the bottle from Anakin’s hands. Anakin blearily looked at him as Roman snatched the bottle of liquor. After a few seconds, Anakin seemed to understand what had just happened and glared at Roman. 

“That will be enough of that young man,” Roman usually didn’t care what people did to themselves, but Anakin was different, and something was clearly wrong. He wasn’t going to let this bright soul make himself feel worse by drinking himself to death.

“Give it back!” Anakin made a belated movement and tried to lean across the counter and grab it from Roman’s hands, but Roman hid it behind his back and smirked at Anakin’s child-like movements.

“You can’t even handle one sip of vodka baby bird. What makes you think I’m going to let you drink anything else?” Roman watched as Anakin rolled his eyes as though he was being a difficult teenager and Roman had just taken away his good time.

“What makes you think that was the first sip of alcohol I’ve had today,” Anakin smirked before reaching for the glass of vodka he had previously poured and took another large sip. Roman couldn’t have stopped him in time if he’d tried for he was too shocked at what Anakin had just said.

“You…you never drink Anakin. What the hell is going on?!”

Anakin just shrugged his shoulders, a gesture that Roman often found endearing but not in the present moment. Something was definitely wrong if Anakin was drinking, and the fact that it seemed to be about Obi-wan made the back of his neck begin to tingle with rage.

“Nothing that I didn’t bring on myself,” Anakin muttered while wrapping his long fingers around his vodka glass again, but immediately stopped the moment he saw Roman move in to stop him. Anakin backed away, glass still clutched in his hand.

“You need to tell me what happened Anakin. You need to tell me now,” Roman knew his voice was getting louder the more he spoke, but he could feel himself getting angrier and angrier at each passing moment and knew it was only a matter of time before he launched at whoever hurt Anakin.

“Why should I tell you anything,” Anakin whispered and the smile he gave Roman was anything but kind. Roman didn’t know quite what to say except, “because I’m your friend Anakin and I care about you. Tell me what’s going on.”

Anakin gave a half-hearted chuckle, “yeah…my friend…why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth when your own brother can’t even do it and he’s supposed to be the nice one!”

Roman winced inwardly at Anakin’s words. There was some truth behind what Anakin was saying, but it didn’t mean Roman wasn’t trying. Anakin had never spoken like this to…well… _anyone_ as far as Roman could remember. Roman clutched the bottle he still held onto as he took a deep breath and tried again.

“Why don’t you tell me what my brother did and maybe I can finally understand what you’re upset about.”

Anakin rolled his eyes again, and took another glug from his glass, almost finishing it. If Roman wasn’t careful, Anakin would soon finish off the entire glass, and based on how he was behaving he had had enough to drink already. Moving closer towards the bar stools, Roman waited for Anakin to look away before he placed the bottle of liquor he had taken from him onto the stool beside him, knowing it was close enough that he could stop Anakin from taking it if he tried.

Anakin eyed him wearily, “you were the one who thought it would be a good idea for me to go and work for Obi-wan, right?” Surprised by the question, Roman could only nod his head yes.

“You knew I had a crush on him from day one, didn’t you?”

“Yes…but I don’t see how this has to do with what’s gotten you so upset baby bird…”

Anakin’s eyes hardened even further as they starred at Roman, “don’t call me that. You know I hate it and yet you never listen to me.” Roman sat down heavily on one of the bar stools at Anakin’s tone.

“I’m…I won’t call you that then. But that doesn’t answer my earlier question Ani. What happened with Obi-wan?”

Instead of answering Roman’s question, Anakin lifted his glass to his mouth and finished off the glass of vodka before slamming it down onto the counter, startling Roman somewhat by the forcefulness of the young man before him.

“You knew I had a crush on him and yet you forced me to work for him. What was it you were hoping for? State secrets? Making a fool out of your brother? Making a fool out of me and my ridiculous crush on the one person you can’t stand?”

Roman swallowed heavily, “no…I…I never would do that to you. I wanted you working with Obi-wan for experience Anakin, you know this.”

Anakin laughed unkindly, “yeah…well what an experience I’m getting.”

Roman had to try one more time, “for the last time Anakin, what happened between you and my brother?”

Anakin picked up the vodka bottle once more and refilled his glass, “nothing happened with Obi-wan. Nothing will ever happen with Obi-wan. We slept together. End of story. I got it in my head that he had feelings for me like I did for him…and…and I said I loved him last night and he left without saying a word to me the next day.”

“He…what a fucking idiot,” Roman ran his hands through his hair in distress and could only watch as Anakin began to pace behind the bar back and forth like a caged animal, clutching his refilled vodka glass like a lifeline. 

“Yeah…that’s right…he is a fucking idiot. But I’m the bigger one. Letting you tell me what to do and go and work for Obi-wan. Letting my feelings get the better of me. Letting myself believe that I stood a chance with someone like…” Anakin stopped moving and opened his mouth to say something else but clammed up the moment he heard the storage room door squeak. Anakin’s eyes widened as Qui-gon came out into the bar area and let himself be known.

“I’m sorry Roman, I couldn’t stay in there any longer knowing what was taking place out here,” Roman swivelled in his chair and caught Qui-gon’s apologetic gaze before he directed it towards Anakin, infusing the room with a calmness that Roman knew both he and Anakin needed at the moment. Roman said nothing as Qui-gon came up beside him and placed a comforting hand on Roman’s lower back, while watching Anakin intently.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that Anakin,” Qui-gon said softly and to Roman’s surprise Anakin’s shoulders dropped slightly, while he swayed on the spot. Rubbing his eyes wearily, Anakin looked at Qui-gon with red-rimmed eyes before muttering, “yeah well…what else is new. I don’t get things that I want.”

“That’s not true Anakin. You have friends like Padme, as well as me and Roman…and…” Qui-gon stopped talking upon hearing Anakin’s bitter laugh. Roman knew deep down that Anakin had given such a hateful laugh at least a few times since their conversation started, and he didn’t like it. In fact, he never wanted to hear Anakin make such a noise again. 

“Thanks for the pep talk, but I don’t need the lecture about counting my blessings Professor Jinn. What I need is to take a break from all of this and go away for awhile.”

Roman’s heart dropped at Anakin’s words. He couldn’t help but stutter, “you…you…you don’t need to run away Anakin.” Roman felt Qui-gon give his lower back a gentle pat at his words. Roman didn’t mean to get so upset, but if Anakin had anything negative to say he could direct his ire at him, not Qui-gon who had done nothing but treat Anakin with kindness since day one.

“Oh…defending our boyfriend are we…a boyfriend I wouldn’t have even known about if it weren’t for me dragging it out of you a few days ago.”

Roman could feel his emotions getting the better of him as his sadness at seeing Anakin so upset quickly turned to anger at Anakin’s words, “that’s not fair Anakin. You know why I had to be careful saying anything about Qui-gon. There’s lots of things at stake.”

“Like what? Your reputation? Your image? Your precious business,” Anakin shook his head with a huff of derision. “I can see why you feel that way. Your own brother won’t even make one move that would somehow taint his image. You guys are more alike than you care to admit,” placing his hands on his hips, Anakin glared at Roman, but before Roman could answer, Qui-gon stepped in.

“What did Obi-wan do Anakin?” Roman didn’t know how Qui-gon was managing to stay so calm, but he was glad somebody was. At Qui-gon’s tone, all of the fight seemed to leave Anakin in a rush and his eyes filled with tears. He took another large sip from the glass of vodka he had poured a few minutes ago, as he stared directly at Roman and Qui-gon.

“Obi-wan wouldn’t let me speak to him all day. When I finally cornered him, he said he didn’t have the time and that some important things needed to be discussed regarding his campaign. He didn’t acknowledge the night before; he made no consideration of how his actions might have affected me. Nothing. It was all business, even when we were alone.” 

Roman opened his mouth to say that was typical of his brother, but Anakin raised a hand to stop him from saying anything. Anakin’s eyes were now focused on the bar countertop as he finished what he had to say.

“Obi-wan then made the announcement that he was going to go to the upcoming candidate banquet with Satine. He made the announcement in front of everyone, even though I…even though…” Anakin took a second to compose himself before continuing, “…even though we spent the night together and he knows…he knows I want to be with him,” at these final words Anakin placed both elbows on the bar and let out a watery sigh.

Roman reached out towards Anakin, knowing that he had to something. Taking a page out of Qui-gon’s book he said quietly, “Anakin…I can’t…I…” but the moment he touched Anakin’s arm Anakin shot up and backed away.

“I don’t need your sympathy Roman. You forced me into Obi-wan’s world the minute you decided to enter his realm again, and I was a fool thinking I was going about it the right way by being myself and opening up with Obi-wan. I don’t need anybody’s kindness. Even the kindest of people end up hurting me. I can’t…I just can’t be here right now…” Anakin took a step towards the front entrance, only to have Qui-gon step into Anakin’s path to stop him as Roman stared at the spot Anakin had just vacated, his sad words ringing in his ears.

Roman would have laughed at the comical way Anakin’s face contorted itself when his brain finally registered that Qui-gon was in front of him but based on the circumstances Roman found nothing funny about the entire situation. The old Roman would have made a joke and bounced around trying to make Anakin laugh, but now was not the time.

“I don’t think you’re in any condition to leave Anakin,” Qui-gon stated firmly but the moment Anakin let out a choking sound, Qui-gon let his defensive stance relax and placed a comforting hand on Anakin’s shoulder instead. 

“My dear Anakin, what is it?”

Roman couldn’t move as Anakin let out a watery sob, “I just need to get out of here Qui-gon. I can’t look at Roman right now, he reminds me too much of Obi-wan,” Anakin turned his watery gaze towards Roman who at that very moment felt like his heart had stopped beating. Of everything Anakin had said this evening, this was the absolute worst. Never before had somebody not wanted to be around him because of his younger brother, normally it was the other way around, and never would have Roman guessed that it would have be Anakin saying such words.

_He was going to kill his brother._

“Sorry Roman but it’s how I feel,” Anakin sheepishly looked at both Roman and Qui-gon as he stood there waiting for the next person to make their move. Unfortunately, that decision was taken out of their hands as the entrance to the bar swung open and Victor walked in. Roman knew Victor was a quick thinker, so it didn’t take him long to figure out that he had just walked in on a very intimate scene.

“Uhhh…hey there boss. Can I get things ready for opening?”

“Shit…” Roman looked at his gold watch and noticed for the first time since entering the storage room with Qui-gon that they were a half hour away from opening. “Just give us a minute Victor,” Roman gave Victor a look that he was hoping would convey that under no circumstances was Anakin allowed to leave the premises. Thankfully, Victor seemed to understand and made his way behind the bar to start tidying up Anakin’s mess, which never happened. Victor raised the glass of vodka that Anakin had been drinking from and frowned before looking at Roman and mouthing _what the fuck_?!

Roman didn’t react as both Qui-gon and Anakin were watching each other during the interruption, both unwilling to make the first move but knowing full well how this would play out if they did. Either Anakin would try to make a run for it and succeed, or Qui-gon would easily stop him in the process.

Roman also knew that if he got involved and intervened, Anakin would get away for sure because Anakin’s words still stung and Roman could feel the energy he needed to fight Anakin slowly depleting. Anakin’s words stung for Roman adored Anakin and watching him react this way over his brother and then say such things to him was hurtful at best. Roman wasn’t sure how much more he could take.

Before anything else could be done, both Qui-gon and Roman jumped as Anakin’s cell phone rang in his back pocket, the soft melody making its way around the room. Thankfully, this seemed to bring Anakin out of the current silent standoff he was having with Qui-gon as he turned his back on both of them while he answered his phone with a breathy, “hello?”

Roman’s hands clenched into fists as he waited to hear who was on the other line. Deep down he hoped it was Obi-wan just so he could tell his brother off and demand he come over right away and fix what he broke, or simply yell at him for an hour. Roman watched as Anakin’s shoulders slumped and he knew straight away that the person Anakin had been hoping for on the other end of his phone was not the person he was currently speaking to. 

“Yes…yes I’m fine Padme…thanks for calling. No, no I’m not alone…” at this Anakin turned his head and glanced at Roman and Qui-gon who were both exactly where he left them moments ago.

“Yeah…I’ll call you when I’m home,” Anakin was barely murmuring by the time he hung up, his voice ragged from overuse and drinking. Roman was glad Padme had phoned Anakin. Maybe it would shake away whatever thoughts he had in his head about not having anyone who cared for him. As though sensing his thoughts, Qui-gon spoke.

“It was nice of Padme to call to see how you are.”

Anakin looked away from his phone and placed it back in his back pocket as he vaguely looked at Qui-gon with pain filled eyes, “yeah, it was nice of her. But it wasn’t him though, was it?”

Before Roman could stop himself, he walked a couple of steps towards Anakin, “please don’t leave Anakin. You don’t…you can have a few days off...you don’t have to…just stay here for the night and let us take care of you. Or better yet, let one of us drive you home since Padme is waiting for you. We can work this out. Qui-gon can talk to Obi-wan and figure out what the hell he’s thinking. If I know my brother, he hasn’t given much thought to his actions, he only thinks with his head when he’s nervous.”

“Listen to Roman, Anakin. We can help,” Qui-gon smiled slightly as the young man glanced at both of them, giving them an apologetic look. Roman glanced at Victor who had made his way closer to their small group so that he could hear what was going on.

Anakin’s eyes found Roman’s. 

“I wish I could stay, but I truly can’t be around you right now Roman,” Anakin knew what he had said cut a little too deep, but that didn’t stop him from moving away and Qui-gon let him go as he saw Roman’s crestfallen face and turned his attention towards him instead. Anakin quickly walked to the front entrance, only to look back and say firmly, “and don’t send Victor to check up on me either. I need some time to myself. Leave me be.”

Before anyone could say anything, Anakin made a move to open the door, only to have it open in front of him and Roman let out a distressed laugh as Palpatine walked through the door.

_Would this night never end!_

Taking in the scene before him, Roman knew they only had matter of seconds to pull themselves together before the snake figured out what was going on. But Roman knew they hadn’t been fast enough as Palpatine zeroed in on his sad expression and raised an eyebrow before moving his heated gaze towards Anakin, who was paying close attention to the carpet, unable to make eye contact with anyone.

“Have I interrupted something,” Palpatine spoke in cautious, oily tones as he took in the scene before him, knowing full well he had interrupted something very important. 

“Not at all,” Roman smiled widely and clapped his hands together, moving away from Qui-gon and reaching for Palpatine’s hand to shake. Upon touching the man’s smaller hand, Roman felt coldness seep through him as Palpatine half smiled, before nodding his head towards Qui-gon.

“Qui-gon, nice to see you here…again.”

“Palpatine, pleasure as always,” Qui-gon murmured, although Roman could sense Qui-gon was tense, but he didn’t have time to digest what had just been said before Palpatine moved his gaze towards Anakin once more, who was now glancing at Roman and Qui-gon after Palpatine’s comment.

Turning his attention towards Anakin, Palpatine placed a hand on his heart, “my dear boy! You look as though you are in distress. Whatever is the matter?” Palpatine moved towards Anakin and placed a comforting hand on Anakin’s shoulder. Roman had to grind his teeth together to stop himself from slapping Palpatine’s hand away.

Anakin swallowed before answering, his voice a mere whisper, “nothing is the matter. Was just heading for home,” Roman would have been proud of how well Anakin covered up the obvious hurt and sadness that surrounded him, but he couldn’t think clearly knowing that so much was at stake.

Palpatine _tsked_ gently at Anakin’s words.

“Well now, I can help with that. I was just coming in to drop off some information regarding the current numbers for the political campaign, and then I was heading home. I have a warm limo waiting outside Anakin. Care to join me?”

“Anakin already has a way to get home,” Roman spat harshly before he could stop himself. He sensed, rather than saw both Qui-gon and Victor move closer to him to make sure he didn’t attack someone. Roman could only watch as Anakin looked in his direction and shook his head no.

“I can ride back with Palpatine Roman. Leave it be,” Anakin’s words weren’t said unkindly but still packed a punch. Roman was completely lost. He didn’t know what to do. He knew Anakin was aware of how he felt about Palpatine. If Anakin was trying to prove that he didn’t need his help, he didn’t have to do it by accepting a ride with Palpatine. But this could not be said with Palpatine’s sharp eyes and alert senses listening to everything that was going on.

Roman was helpless. He didn’t know what to say, for he didn’t want to say anything else that could put Anakin in jeopardy, or somehow let Palpatine in on his relationship with Qui-gon, let alone Anakin’s current feelings about Obi-wan. Therefore, Roman could only nod, and he finally felt himself let go of the last glimmer of hope he had of saving the day as his gaze slide away from Anakin’s distressed face and Palpatine said delightedly, “wonderful! Come along then dear Anakin! Chat again later Roman.”

Palpatine placed an arm around Anakin’s shoulders and walked him out the door.

The moment Roman heard the door close behind Anakin he collapsed against Qui-gon who he knew instinctively would be beside him. Qui-gon wrapped him up against his chest and the warmth that Roman had been missing since he first let him go back in the storage room came back. He could feel the anger he had suppressed since first hearing about what Obi-wan had done to Anakin begin to bubble up once more. Gripping onto Qui-gon’s sweater with both hands, Roman let out a sob before lifting his face and staring at the man before him. 

“You and I are going to have a little chat with my brother Qui-gon,” Roman waited until Qui-gon muttered, “yes I believe we should,” before turning his head sharply and pointing at Victor, “and you’re going to follow that asshole if it’s the last thing you do. Follow them and make sure he gets to his apartment. If Palpatine so much as steps onto the sidewalk you will call me and I will tell you what to do next,” Roman could feel the anger rising to his throat and judging from the way Qui-gon’s eyes were wearily looking at him, he knew his feelings were more than evident. 

But Roman couldn’t care less. He was going to fix Anakin if it was the last thing he did.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of the banquet is upon Obi-wan, who is dealing with his own anxieties and feelings of guilt over how he left things with Anakin. But before he can speak to Anakin at the banquet, he must come to terms with what is happening between Qui-gon and Roman. 
> 
> Nobody said this evening was going to be easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took me a long time to write, if for no other reason than I needed to make sure Obi-wan redeemed himself a little bit by explaining where he was coming from. But lots of other things happen in this chapter, and 20 pages later I think it came together nicely. We are past the halfway mark, so lots is happening from here on out. 
> 
> As always enjoy. I wanted to get another chapter out before the New Year, to try and end 2020 on a positive note. Thanks again for the kudos and comments. They mean the world to me! 
> 
> Happy New Year everyone!

Chapter Thirteen

Obi-wan looked at himself in his full-length mirror and readjusted one of the cuffs on his dress shirt, making sure the cufflink was in the right place. Obi-wan stole another quick glance as he put on his black suit jacket and ran his hands around the edge of his shirt collar to even things out. Obi-wan nodded his head, smiling slightly at his reflection as he took one last look before grabbing his keys from his nightstand and leaving his room. Placing a hand on his stomach, Obi-wan couldn’t help the flutter of nerves that attacked him as he headed downstairs. His nerves had been getting the best of him for the past few days and tonight’s event wasn’t helping.

The banquet was this evening, and it was the last big event before the election. Even though Obi-wan had one more debate to get through before the election itself, this banquet would be the thing that would allow Obi-wan and his team to connect with everyone who needed to hear his message about bringing Coruscant out of the corrupt under workings of people who had too much power. It was time for honesty, forward thinking, and a positive approach and if Obi-wan listened to what others were saying, his message was being heard loud and clear throughout Coruscant.

As Obi-wan reached the bottom of the stairs, his stomach gave another small lurch and Obi-wan breathed deeply, before settling himself down once more. Running a hand across his forehead to shuffle the fringe of hair that always seemed to be in his way, Obi-wan’s brain reminded him of why he was feeling off. If he was being honest with himself, it wasn’t just the banquet coming up. It was because of someone else.

_Anakin._

Before Obi-wan could stop himself, he reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out his cellphone. Turning it on, Obi-wan saw a couple of texts from Satine telling him where she would meet him and Qui-gon once they were at the hotel where the banquet was going to be held. Obi-wan made a mental note to get back to her as soon as he was done with his current task. Scrolling down further, Obi-wan saw two more missed calls from his brother, which Obi-wan had seen earlier that morning but hadn’t bothered responding to. His brother had been trying to connect with him for quite awhile now, but Obi-wan had always managed to evade him.

_Maybe he has to tell you something about Anakin?_

Obi-wan ignored that thought and instead scrolled down a little bit more until he came across Anakin’s name. Moving his thumb gentle over his screen, Obi-wan sighed deeply. His stomach rolled again, letting him know that he was getting close to why his anxiety was getting the best of him lately. Tapping on Anakin’s name, Obi-wan noticed that the last time Anakin had texted him was a few hours before they had met that day in the park.

_Heading to the park in a few minutes. See you soon Obi!_

Obi-wan’s eyes wandered over Anakin’s text and a small smile came to the corner of his mouth as he thought back to that morning and afternoon. Anakin had looked beautiful that day. All shy smiles and laughter as he and Obi-wan did some tasks together, and spent the day outside. Obi-wan could still remember exactly what Anakin had looked like as the cool, crisp wind ruffled his blonde curls, making his cheeks turn pink. Obi-wan had been in awe at just how much Anakin’s eyes sparkled as he spoke with Obi-wan.

Obi-wan swallowed hard as images of that evening flashed in his mind. 

That had been happening quite a bit lately, and Obi-wan was hit was a bombardment of images that had done nothing to help him feel better. Images of Anakin as he stood naked in his apartment, illuminated by the moon’s rays, Anakin’s blue eyes looking at him in awe as he took Obi-wan for the second time that evening, entering him slowly, making them both cry out in pleasure as Anakin’s eyes shone in the darkness, images of Anakin as he snuggled into Obi-wan’s side and told him he loved him.

Obi-wan let his thumb move on the screen so that the keyboard popped up and he could start typing a message. He had typed out a message to Anakin so many times these past few days, but he could never land on the right thing to say. Whatever he came up with was either too trite or gushy as far as he was concerned, and Obi-wan was at a loss as to what to say. He knew he shouldn’t have left like he had that morning, and it had probably hurt Anakin’s feelings, but Obi-wan had felt scared and didn’t know what else to do. Besides, how was it even possible? A man like Anakin had so much to offer and Obi-wan was nothing if not set in his ways. He was older than Anakin and was on a career path that would take up most, if not all, of his time. Anakin was such a promising young man that Obi-wan didn’t want to hold him back.

A twinge of guilt hit Obi-wan once more as a thought that had been creeping into his mind since that night rose to the surface once more…

_Then why did you sleep with him?_

Obi-wan huffed out loud and quickly searched for Satine’s name, texting that he and Qui-gon would be leaving in a few minutes. Turning off his phone, Obi-wan stuffed it back into his suit jacket pocket with more force than was necessary.

That very thought had been haunting him for days now, and it wasn’t getting any better.

Obi-wan focused his attention on finding his coat in the hall closet. Yanking it off the hanger, Obi-wan turned around and placed his coat and car keys on the chair closest by the front door, before making his way towards the kitchen. Upon hearing Qui-gon behind the kitchen door, Obi-wan paused for a moment to collect himself. He was already nervous about the evening, and he had been feeling somewhat apprehensive around Qui-gon as of late. Obi-wan couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was almost as though Qui-gon was…disappointed…in him.

_Disappointed about what?_

Obi-wan frowned at the annoying inner voice, which kept making its presence known. He honestly didn’t know why Qui-gon would be disappointed in him. Was it something to do with his campaign? With Roman? With Anakin?

At this thought, Obi-wan couldn’t help but feel his cheeks begin to flush. Did Qui-gon know about him spending the night with Anakin? Was he upset with Obi-wan for what he did? Was he mad because he had yet to contact Anakin and apologize for his behaviour? Was he disappointed because Obi-wan behaved like an immature wimp, unable to tell Anakin that he wasn’t ready for a relationship yet, instead of sneaking out?

Obi-wan closed his eyes as he stood in the middle of their living room, unable to move forward until he let these thoughts pass through his mind, and tried to sort them out before entering the kitchen. Obi-wan tried to calm his heartbeat by taking a couple of calming breaths as he let himself think logically about the situation.

There was simply no way that Qui-gon knew about him and Anakin. The only way he would know anything would be if Obi-wan had told him, which he certainly hadn’t, or by some chance Roman had told him because Anakin had disclosed information while at work. Obi-wan opened his eyes slowly. Now _that_ was a possibility. But how would Roman get a hold of Qui-gon? As far as Obi-wan could tell, Qui-gon had kept his promise and hadn’t seen Roman for ages. Besides, even if his brother had somehow managed to contact Qui-gon, how far Anakin was willing to talk was anybody’s guess.

Obi-wan heard Qui-gon moving closer to the kitchen entrance as he stood there. Taking one more deep breath, Obi-wan moved forward, allowing the _tap tap_ of his shoes echo on the floor so as to warn Qui-gon of his presence. Obi-wan didn’t know why he felt the need to do this, but for some reason he did. Qui-gon hadn’t said or done anything to make him feel this way.

_Because you know what you did was wrong Obi-wan._

Obi-wan unconsciously rubbed his stomach with his hand as it flared up once more. 

_You were more than ready to take Anakin up on his offer to see his apartment. It meant something to you too. Stop running away from your feelings Obi-wan. Talk to Anakin!_

Obi-wan slammed his hand against the kitchen door in frustration and pushed it open with more force than was necessary. Obi-wan noticed Qui-gon’s startled look as he looked away from the window he had been staring out of. Obi-wan tried to smile as he took in the appearance of his friend. Qui-gon looked handsome in his soft grey suit and open white dress shirt, not looking as stiff as Obi-wan felt with his cufflinks and tie. Letting his hair hang loosely around his shoulders, Obi-wan watched as Qui-gon smiled warmly back at him.

Not for the first time, Obi-wan was struck with a feeling of remorse as he wished both he and Qui-gon had romantic feelings for one another, so as to save him from his current torment. But alas, it was not meant to be and Obi-wan could only stand where he was, waiting for his friend to acknowledge him. 

“Obi-wan! There you are. Are you ready to leave?”

Obi-wan spoke lightly, “you seem as nervous as I feel tonight.” Qui-gon tilted his head back and gave a loud laugh. “Economic professors are not meant to go to these types of events my friend. I’d rather stay at home and read a good book.”

“You and me both,” Obi-wan agreed. Qui-gon let his soft brown eyes stare back at Obi-wan with a somewhat pitying look, but Obi-wan didn’t say anything. 

“Believe it or not old friend, you were born for this role. Let me just grab my coat and we can be on our way,” Qui-gon made his way towards the kitchen door, clapping Obi-wan on the shoulder as he walked past. Obi-wan knew Qui-gon was comforting him without having to use his words, and Obi-wan was secretly pleased. Qui-gon was and continued to be a great sense of comfort for him.

_Anakin could be that for you too…_

Obi-wan frowned to himself. That inner voice really needed to stuff it.

Following Qui-gon to their front door, Obi-wan waited for Qui-gon to put on his coat and pair of gloves. It had gotten extremely cold over the past couple of days, so Obi-wan followed suit. It was a long car ride to the banquet, and Obi-wan needed to be prepared for anything. Without meaning to, Obi-wan snuck a quick glance at Qui-gon’s profile as he fiddled with his car keys, but was surprised to see his friend staring off into space once more. “Is something wrong Qui?” Obi-wan kept his voice light-hearted as Qui-gon blinked a couple of times, coming out of the daze he had been in, only to look at Obi-wan with a sheepish expression.

“You seemed lost in thought,” Obi-wan continued when it became clear Qui-gon wasn’t going to say anything right away.

Qui-gon seemed slightly humiliated to having been caught in the act, “you seem to be very focused on the election my friend. I’m surprised you noticed.”

Obi-wan’s face heated with embarrassment. He knew deep down that he had been consumed by the election, and these past few days had made him even more consumed by it than usual. If he happened to spend more time at the campaign office than usual that was because of the timing of the election, nothing more.

_That’s a lie._

Alright, so maybe he had allowed himself to be consumed by his campaign more so than usual because of what had happened between he and Anakin. Obi-wan knew he needed to speak to the young man and explain why he had done what he had done. There was no excuse for his behaviour. He just hoped Anakin would be able to forgive him.

“Of course I noticed Qui-gon! You’re my best friend.”

Qui-gon stared at Obi-wan with an intense look before sighing deeply through his nose and brushing a hand through his hair, which only proved Obi-wan’s initial thought that something was the matter. Qui-gon was rarely nervous, but that was exactly what he was showing right now.

Alarm bells started ringing in Obi-wan’s head, “what’s wrong?”

Qui-gon gave Obi-wan a sad look, “I’m afraid I can’t tell you much Obi. It’s not my story to tell.”

“What do you mean?” 

Qui-gon shuffled a little bit on his feet before re- adjusting his gloves, “have you heard from Roman lately?” Obi-wan frowned slightly, “Roman? Yes actually. He’s tried to phone me a couple of times today, but I haven’t gotten back to him yet. He’s been trying all week to be honest.” 

Qui-gon sighed, “well I’m going to have to let Roman speak to you first. He will be able to fill you in.”

Obi-wan’s heart began beating faster. Was somebody hurt? Sick? Obviously, his distress at Qui-gon’s statement showed on his face as Qui-gon took pity on him and reached out to squeeze Obi-wan’s shoulder once more, offering him comfort.

“Nothing to be fearful of my dear friend. You have a lot riding tonight, and you need to stay focused. Just let Roman speak to you the next time you see him. He can fill you in on everything.”

“Can you at least tell me what this is about?”

Obi-wan followed Qui-gon out the door as they headed to the car. He wasn’t sure if Qui-gon would tell him anything else, but he was going to try. It wasn’t until they were both settled in the car and were pulling out of the driveway that Qui-gon spoke, “something tells me you are just going to keep asking questions until I finally cave,” Qui-gon smiled at Obi-wan who was in the passenger seat, trying to calm his nerves. Even though they were driving his car, it went without saying that Qui-gon would be the one to drive them to the banquet tonight, Obi-wan’s nerves being what they were.

“You know as well as I do, I won’t stop until I get an answer,” Obi-wan tried to laugh but it came out rather shaky. The annoying voice that had been bothering him recently was back and it kept repeating one name over and over and over.

_Anakin…Anakin…Anakin…_

“It has to do with young Anakin I’m afraid,” Qui-gon spoke clearly, but everything was sounding rather fuzzy the moment Qui-gon spoke Anakin’s name. Obi-wan could only look at Qui-gon as he continued to speak words to him, but Obi-wan only heard half of it.

“Roman wanted to…and speak to you in person…said no…phone…lots going on…Anakin…”

_Anakin…Anakin…Anakin…_

Obi-wan swallowed thickly. There was no point in beating around the bush any further when it came to keeping things from Qui-gon. Based on what his friend was saying, he had to know what had transpired between him and Anakin. Taking a deep breath, Obi-wan finally let it out.

“You know what happened between me and Anakin, don’t you?”

Qui-gon’s hands gently squeezed the steering wheel as they made their way onto the highway, leading them to Coruscant. “Yes, I dare say I do Obi.”

Obi-wan’s cheeks flushed in humiliation. Not because he was ashamed of being attracted to Anakin and sleeping with him, but because of his behaviour since then.

“If it’s any consolation I feel terrible,” Obi-wan tried to show Qui-gon how bad he felt through his words.

Qui-gon glanced at his friend quickly before moving his eyes to the road ahead, “I assumed as much Obi-wan. It didn’t sound like something you would do under normal circumstances.”

“I haven’t been able to bring myself to speak to Anakin since we spent the night together. I’ve royally messed up, haven’t I?” Obi-wan twisted his hands in his lap as his stomach rolled without stopping.

“Royally _fucked_ things up would be the words your brother would use,” Qui-gon said kindly, but with a firm tone. Obi-wan couldn’t help but roll his eyes at his brother’s turn of phrase. That would be exactly what Roman would say, and would probably say to him in person at the banquet tonight.

“Is Anakin going to be at the banquet tonight?” Obi-wan knew Anakin hadn’t been back to his campaign office since the day he said he was going to tonight’s event with Satine, but he was hopeful. If Anakin were there tonight, he could tell him why he had chosen Satine over him. For although Obi-wan was still at a loss as to why Anakin would want to go to the banquet with him after spending only one night together, he truly didn’t want to put Anakin in a position where everyone would see them, and Anakin would be subjected to the kind of scrutiny only Obi-wan was used to. 

With these thoughts in mind, Obi-wan missed the shocked expression Qui-gon sent his way, eyes showing a sadness around the edges, before letting it disappear. “Anakin will be there as far as I know. I hear Roman is coming with him.”

“Yes, I invited him.” Obi-wan was a bit surprised that Qui-gon knew this, but he brushed it aside.

“I’m surprised you invited Roman to be honest,” Qui-gon stated calmly and Obi-wan had to agree.

“I am too. But it was the right thing to do. Roman has been…helpful…in his own way. He’s supported my campaign and has made it possible for us to connect to some people who normally we wouldn’t be able to speak to. As far as I can tell Roman’s been on his best behaviour.”

Qui-gon chuckled, “that’s a glowing compliment coming from you.”

Obi-wan laughed lightly, “I’m still stunned that I’ve invited Roman. Having him there tonight will mean everyone will know he’s my brother and that we’re speaking to each other. Before now I’ve been able to keep Roman at an arms length, but…” Obi-wan didn’t continue speaking. He’d been down this path with Qui-gon before and his friend knew what he was trying to say.

This was a big step for him. 

“Then speak to Roman when we get there. He can fill you in. This is a step in the right direction Obi.”

“Can’t wait,” Obi-wan said sarcastically.

Qui-gon sniggered, “with good reason,” he winked at Obi-wan’s distressed face, but Obi-wan didn’t say anything. The sooner he spoke to Roman and knew what was going on, the sooner he would be able to speak to Anakin and clear the air between them.

The minute Obi-wan and Qui-gon got out of the car and Obi-wan saw Satine standing on the stone staircase with her arms wrapped around her chest, tapping her foot impatiently, he knew something was wrong. It was freezing cold outside for starters, and she had on an off the shoulder gown with only had a flimsy shawl to keep her warm. But judging from her stormy face, Obi-wan was fairly certain the cold weather wasn’t affecting her at the moment. Keeping his gaze fixated on his friend as they got closer, Obi-wan began to take off his gloves and unbutton his coat. By the time he and Qui-gon reached her, Obi-wan had his coat off and was wrapping it around her shoulders.

“You’ll catch your death out her dear Satine. Whatever are you doing?” Obi-wan’s tone was comforting and warm as he made sure his coat wouldn’t fall off her shoulders. Meeting his eyes, Satine gave him a hard look.

“I’m glad you came early Obi-wan,” Satine kept her tone firm, but Obi-wan could see distress on her face as she glanced in Qui-gon’s direction, “good evening Qui-gon. I’m glad you’re here. Roman won’t shut up and keeps asking for you.”

Obi-wan let out a choked laugh in disbelief, turning to Qui-gon whose face wasn’t giving anything away.

“The older brother is already here is he? I’m sure he’s asking for me because he wants my help with whatever situation he’s gotten himself into. Who is it this time?” Qui-gon had a slight smile on his face as both Obi-wan and Satine gave him identical curious looks.

“That’s the thing. He’s really upset Qui-gon, and not for anything I can figure out.” Satine wrapped Obi-wan’s coat tighter around her shoulders. Without thinking, Obi-wan put a hand on her back and rubbed it gently to try and warm her up as they began to make their way towards the front entrance. It was the least he could do after she put up with his brother, and it also gave Obi-wan a moment to gather his thoughts. Qui-gon made it to the large glass doors leading into the hotel before they did and opened them widely so that both Satine and Obi-wan could enter at the same time. Dropping his hand from Satine’s back, Satine unwrapped herself from Obi-wan’s coat and gave him a small smile as she handed it back to him.

Obi-wan waited patiently as Qui-gon quickly removed his own coat and gloves, taking Obi-wan’s coat as well and moved towards the coat check to wait for assistance. Satine stayed quiet and watchful as Obi-wan turned his attention to those around them and noticed quite a few familiar faces, many of whom were now noticing Obi-wan’s entrance and were making their way towards them, but even amongst the crowds of people, Obi-wan saw no Roman. By the time Qui-gon came back to the two of them, Obi-wan had already shaken a dozen hands, but his attention was on who he wasn’t seeing.

“Did Roman say anything that might help us figure out what this is about,” Qui-gon whispered as the three of them made their way across the hotel entrance and Obi-wan was struck by the extravagance of the evening. Obviously, a lot of money was put into this and although he was certain Palpatine had a lot to do with it, it was clear that Roman had helped. Between the showy flower arrangements and elaborate outfits of some of the staff, Roman had clearly used his influence. This managed to bring a small smile to Obi-wan’s lips, even when the next thing Satine said made him stop dead in his tracks.

“I think I heard him say something about Anakin,” Satine whispered back, waving to a couple across from them who recognized her. Obi-wan tried to keep his startled reaction off of his face, but he knew he was doing a terrible job of it when Satine looked back to where he was standing with a lifted eyebrow and Qui-gon came back to him, only to place a comforting hand on his shoulder and nothing more.

“Anakin? What’s wrong with Anakin,” he barely managed to keep his voice even. 

Satine placed her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense way, “I told you, I don’t know for sure. But from the snippets of conversation I’ve heard between Roman and Anakin, they aren’t happy with one another.” Obi-wan swallowed and looked up at Qui-gon who was watching the large banquet hall doors behind Satine as though they held the answers they were looking for.

“I think we need to get in there before all hell breaks loose,” Satine added, which only made Obi-wan’s anxiety flare up to a point where he was beginning to wonder where the nearest bathroom was. As though sensing his immediate discomfort, Qui-gon simply squeezed Obi-wan’s shoulder once more before saying softly, “I think there is no time like the present to make ourselves known dear friend.”

Obi-wan nodded his head minutely in agreement. Brushing his fringe out of his face one more time he squared his shoulders and began making his way towards the large doors. Coming up beside Satine he extended his arm, which Satine took and Obi-wan let go of the breath he had been holding the moment she patted his arm in quiet solidarity. Obi-wan had never been more grateful for these friends in his life than he was at that very moment.

But the banquet hall doors opened swiftly and Obi-wan was startled as his older brother stormed out of the banquet hall in a flurry of rage. Upon spotting the three of them, Roman pointed an accusatory finger at Obi-wan and screamed, “YOU!”

Obi-wan only had seconds to realize that everyone around them had stopped what they were doing, only to stare in awe as Roman marched his way towards their trio. Under normal circumstances, Obi-wan would have been embarrassed from having all of this attention on him at once if it weren’t for being truly afraid of his big brother at this very moment.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay where you were,” Satine asked sternly the moment Roman was within ear shot. Obi-wan heard a soft snort coming from Qui-gon, but didn’t know what was so funny judging from the fire coming from Roman’s eyes as he ignored Satine and instead zeroed in on Obi-wan who was trying his best not to cower at his brother’s face. He’d seen that look a few times in his life, and each time he had to remind himself that Roman wasn’t going to kill him.

“I don’t give a flying fu…” Roman started, making his way towards Obi-wan lightening fast. Obi-wan steadied himself as he waited for Roman to come closer, only to be relieved when Roman was grabbed by the upper arm by none other than Qui-gon, who simply dragged him away from Obi-wan and Satine with a unimpressed look on his face. Obi-wan had the sneaking suspicion that Qui-gon made similar faces when he was in the lecture hall and some young know-it-all began to question him. Obi-wan would have laughed at his friend’s disgruntled look if the circumstances weren’t so dire.

Both Satine and Obi-wan made no attempt to move away from where they were, knowing full well that Roman would see them trying to sneak away and Qui-gon would lose his opportunity to help calm Roman down. Due to Qui-gon’s height advantage, Obi-wan caught Satine giggling quietly as she watched Roman being dragged away, which she quickly covered up by pretending to itch her nose the moment she saw Obi-wan looking at her.

“Something funny Satine,” he smirked.

“Only the fact that Qui-gon is manhandling your brother and I’ve never been more delighted,” Satine shot back, this time not bothering to cover up her laughter. Obi-wan looked over at the two men again and couldn’t help but chuckle slightly as he watched Roman wave his arms dramatically and tap his foot incessantly against the tiled floor. Every so often he would stop as Qui-gon spoke in soft tones, never letting Roman lose eye contact with him by keeping his arm in a death grip. Whatever Qui-gon was saying seemed to be working as slowly but surely Roman stopped waving his arms and simply held them on his hips in a defensive pose.

Both Satine and Obi-wan waited patiently as Qui-gon continued speaking to Roman, who every so often would glance their way and shoot death glares at his brother. Obi-wan would simply look away when Roman looked over, not yet ready to face his wrath. Even though Qui-gon had managed to calm Roman down for the time being, it would only be a matter of time before he would want to speak to Obi-wan and this time Obi-wan knew Qui-gon wouldn’t be able to appease him. Therefore, Obi-wan took a few seconds to look around and see who else was seeing the antics of his brother. Luckily, everybody had either walked away or were simply going back to their original conversations now that Qui-gon had calmed the situation.

Looking over at Satine once more to see if she would like to accompany him towards the banquet hall while Qui-gon sorted things out, Obi-wan was startled to find her now staring in amazement at what was behind him, rather than mild amusement like she had been a few seconds before. Not sure what to expect, Obi-wan turned his head to see what Roman was doing now, only to choke on his tongue.

Qui-gon was still speaking softly to Roman, but what was once a conversation between two men who barely knew one another, had now turned into a conversation between two men who obviously knew each other on a more personal level. Obi-wan couldn’t help but stare in horror at Qui-gon began to rub the same arm he had been holding onto moments before, brushing his fingertips against Roman’s green suit jacket like he was the most delicate thing in the universe and needed protecting. Roman, for all his kinetic energy, was now standing still, staring up at Qui-gon with a sultry look on his face as though he knew exactly what he needed to do to get Qui-gon to fall at his feet right in the middle of the hotel entrance.

Obi-wan couldn’t think.

He couldn’t breathe.

He could only watch as his best friend looked at his brother with such considerate softness, that it made Obi-wan’s chest ache.

_You could have had that with Anakin…_ the inner voice in Obi-wan’s head said sarcastically.

Before Obi-wan could think about what he was going to do, he stepped closer to Roman and Qui-gon as though trying to get a closer look, just to make sure that he was seeing things correctly. It wasn’t until Qui-gon reached down and moved some hair out of Roman’s eyes that Obi-wan’s ears began to ring, and he could feel heat rising on the back of his head. All of these signs pointed to a full-blown panic attack, but somewhere deep-down Obi-wan knew he couldn’t do anything about it now that he was finally here at the very banquet that meant so much to him and his campaign.

Feeling his eyes begin to burn as he watched Roman smile up at Qui-gon with way too much adoration, Obi-wan knew he was witnessing something that the two men probably didn’t want others to see. 

“Qui-gon…what…” Obi-wan’s words got caught in his throat as he let his eyes move between Roman and Qui-gon as the two men seemed to remember where they were and quickly removed themselves from each other’s personal spaces, only to stare at Obi-wan in surprise as though HE was the one who needed to explain himself. Qui-gon was the first to redeem himself and come towards Obi-wan, who took a step back the moment Qui-gon came towards him.

Qui-gon’s eyes widened in surprise at Obi-wan’s actions, so he stopped where he was and placed a hand on his heart, while reaching out towards Obi-wan with his other.

“Obi-wan…I’m so…sorry. We didn’t want you to find out this way. Roman and I…”

“Have been lying to me from day one,” Obi-wan interrupted. He couldn’t help himself as he looked towards his brother, expecting to see a smirk, but instead found him looking sheepishly at the floor as though he was embarrassed by what was happening.

“I trusted you,” Obi-wan whispered. He wasn’t sure who he exactly was saying this to, but Roman’s head came up quickly at his tone, eyeing him warily. Qui-gon swallowed thickly, watching Obi-wan as his eyes met his briefly, only to look away towards the banquet hall. Seeing the tears that were slowly beginning to form in Obi-wan’s eyes, Qui-gon was quick to speak.

“My dear friend, let us get through this evening and we will explain everything to you once we are done. I know how important tonight is for you and your team…so please…”

Obi-wan lifted a hand to stop Qui-gon from finishing his sentence, and he knew his face was contorted in cold rage as he took in Qui-gon’s wide eyes and look of shock.

“Spare me. It’s not like anything has stopped you from stuffing your tongue down Roman’s throat… _friend_...” Obi-wan almost spit the words at Qui-gon but stopped short as a person across from them called his name and Obi-wan had to shift gears and put a smile on his face as he waved back. Upon doing so, he took the opportunity to look at his watch and noticed that dinner was going to be starting in about twenty minutes. Without a second thought he looked away from Qui-gon, who now seemed visibly upset, and instead turned towards Satine who had been standing like a statue since Obi-wan had first seen Roman and Qui-gon petting each other. 

“We need to go in Satine. It’s time,” he said strongly and stuck his hand out, which Satine took quickly. Giving it a firm squeeze, Obi-wan knew in that moment that Satine knew exactly what he was doing.

He was shutting down his emotions.

He was refocusing his energy so that he could center his attention on the evening and the election in front of him.

Obi-wan had learned at a very young age how to put his emotions away so that they wouldn’t be used against him. Everybody always said Obi-wan would be good in politics, and right now, Obi-wan would actually agree with them.

Obi-wan didn’t spare Qui-gon or Roman another glance, even as Qui-gon tried one more time to call his name and keep him from leaving. Obi-wan knew he was behaving dramatically, but tonight was supposed to go a certain way and so far, he had had a few too many anxiety attacks to keep track of. He was edging towards a panic attack, but needed to keep things together until he was back home. 

“Obi wait! I know you think I’m a piece of shit but the least you could do is let me talk to you about Anakin,” Obi-wan heard his brother call out to him, but he ignored it completely. Upon entering the hall, Obi-wan let the sights and sounds of the high-class function wash over him. The live band was playing music in the corner to liven up the crowd and between people’s conversations and laughter, the smells of the various foods being placed on each table and the sight of champagne being poured, Obi-wan let himself be immersed in what was ahead of him.

“I’m going to go freshen up,” Satine let go of Obi-wan’s hand and winked at him before moving away.

Obi-wan smiled at her and then began to make his way through the crowds of people, shaking hands with those he knew and speaking to anyone who came his way. Obi-wan was smiling, laughing and beginning to shake off what had just occurred in the entranceway. Taking a deep breath, Obi-wan moved closer and closer to his table until he saw the place cards that had been set up for him and his guests. Obi-wan steeled himself and placed a smile on his face as he looked to his left and saw Palpatine looking at him with a calculated look. Obi-wan was sure Palpatine didn’t know what had just transpired between him and Qui-gon out in the hallway, but for some reason the look Palpatine was giving him made him uneasy.

Obi-wan nodded his head in acknowledgement, “Palpatine, it’s good to see you. I hope you’re enjoying your evening so far.” Palpatine smiled widely and stood up from his chair. Coming around the table to get closer to Obi-wan, he extended his hand and Obi-wan shook it.

“Good to see you Kenobi. We were beginning to wonder if you were going to be a no-show tonight. It’s not like you to be so late,” Obi-wan kept his eyes trained on Palpatine as he spoke. God. He wanted to hit this terrible man. Instead, he let out a light laugh, hoping to show Palpatine how unaffected he was by his words. Thankfully, it seemed to be working.

“Oh I assure you, I was here on time. Got caught in the entranceway saying hello to people. You know how it is,” Obi-wan tacked on for good measure.

Palpatine’s smile simply widened, “good…that’s good. Well, I’m sure the rest of your team will be arriving shortly. Rex is here, we’ve seen him. Cody is as well, but he’s busy schmoozing the crowd. How about Satine?”

Obi-wan _reall_ y wanted to hit him. Why was he keeping such close tabs on his campaign team? Didn’t he have his own people to worry about? 

“She’s with me tonight. Qui-gon is here as my guest. You know him, don’t you?” Obi-wan was hoping to change the subject so to get Palpatine off whatever track he was currently on, but the mention of Qui-gon only made Obi-wan’s heart clench painfully.

“I see! Yes, I know Qui-gon quite well. Nice man. Well, I’m glad you have the whole gang here. My team is here, including a new recruit.” Obi-wan could feel the hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise.

Something was going on.

Years of instinct living with Roman and his parents told him to be on guard right this very minute. But he just couldn’t figure out what it was Palpatine was up to.

So Obi-wan watched as Palpatine stepped away and pointed towards a small group of people that were standing near Palpatine’s table. At first Obi-wan couldn’t see what it was this despicable man was so eager to show him, but then he caught sight of soft blonde curls and knew what was happening.

Obi-wan watched with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as _his_ Anakin…beautiful, smart, funny, brilliant Anakin…stood a few feet away from him in a fancy suit and tie, looking as handsome as ever, talking with three people whom Obi-wan had never met before. All three of them were enthralled with whatever it was Anakin was saying, and despite the circumstances, Obi-wan was impressed.

Of course people were hanging onto Anakin’s every word.

He was simply amazing. 

Not for the first time that evening, Obi-wan had to swallow past a painful lump in his throat. He could feel Palpatine’s gaze coming back towards him and knew he only had seconds before he had to say something and make sure Palpatine didn’t know how much this was affecting him. Just as Obi-wan was about to look away from Anakin, he laughed at something that was said and looked towards Obi-wan as though he was drawn to him. Obi-wan watched anxiously as Anakin saw him, but instead of smiling at him as he always did, Anakin raised his champagne glass to his lips and took a small sip before looking away, barely acknowledging Obi-wan’s existence. 

Obi-wan felt as thought the air had been sucked out of his lungs. 

_I’ve made a terrible mistake_ …

Palpatine smiled at Anakin as though he was a prize that he had won and then looked at Obi-wan with victory in his eyes.

“It seems that Anakin had a bit of a falling out with you…or your campaign. One or the other. He kept fairly tight lipped about that. I drove him home a few night ago from Roman’s establishment, and he told me all about your brother giving your campaign money. It didn’t seem right to me that Anakin should be a part of such a corrupt team. So I offered him a prestigious position within my own campaign as well as a seat on the Senate if we are to win,” Palpatine spoke softly but every word was like a knife to Obi-wan’s stomach.

Obi-wan wanted nothing more than to take his fist and drive it into Palpatine’s smirking face. Turning his cold grey eyes towards the man in front of him, Obi-wan tried to keep his voice as even as possible as he spoke, “Anakin is an amazing young man. You would be wise to let him spread his wings and listen to what he says.”

“Oh! You don’t need to tell me that Kenobi. Unlike you I am well aware of the… _gifts_ …Anakin has to offer,” Palpatine turned his predatory gaze towards Anakin once again and it took all of Obi-wan’s willpower to not launch himself across the room towards Anakin and drag him out of there.

This night was turning into a bloody nightmare and it was all Obi-wan’s fault.

Taking one last glance at Anakin, Obi-wan stood as confidently as he could as he reached out to shake Palpatine’s hand. He needed to get out of there and get some fresh air before dinner and the speeches began. He had to try and compose himself as best as he could without giving himself away.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go speak to my people,” Obi-wan waited as Palpatine turned and looked somewhat surprised by Obi-wan’s reaction and extended his own hand, but not before sliding his gaze towards the doors to the banquet hall and saying sarcastically, “well, well. It seems that tonight is just full of surprises is it not Kenobi?”

Obi-wan’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he turned his head in the direction Palpatine was looking, only to see Qui-gon and Roman enter the room together. If they were anybody else, Obi-wan was sure he would be willing to admit that they were a cute couple. For all of Roman’s boldness and colorful attitude, Qui-gon was soft and confident. Even from a distance, Obi-wan could see Roman smiling widely at anyone who would look his way, shaking hands with people he knew, while Qui-gon searched the room with his intuitive eyes. 

It wasn’t until Qui-gon spotted Obi-wan that he turned his attention towards Roman and spoke in his ear. Based on how quickly Roman found Obi-wan, he was sure Qui-gon was telling him where he was. Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-wan saw Anakin shift closer towards he and Palpatine and look in his direction. Obi-wan couldn’t help himself as he locked eyes with Anakin who was looking at him with concern written all over his face, as though sympathizing with Obi-wan for a brief moment. But the moment he caught Obi-wan’s heartfelt look, he wiped any sincerity off his face and looked away once more. 

Obi-wan’s heart squeezed painfully at Anakin’s lack of emotion towards him. 

“Glad you’re here Kenobi, lots of people want to say hello to you,” Cody came by their table and clapped Obi-wan on the back, jarring him out of his reverie. Obi-wan was glad for the distraction, if for no other reason than to focus on something other than Anakin’s sad face or Palpatine’s gleeful look as he took in Qui-gon and Roman who were both coming towards them.

Obi-wan turned towards Palpatine who was still staring at Roman and Qui-gon. It unnerved Obi-wan to the point that he got in front of Palpatine one more time, “a pleasure speaking to you as always Palpatine. Enjoy your evening,” Obi-wan stuck his hand out again for Palpatine to shake and it took everything in him not to pull it away as Palpatine’s cold hand took hold of his. Obi-wan smiled as friendly as he could, making sure Palpatine was focused on him.

“You too my boy. Enjoy the festivities. I promise to take care of Anakin for you.” Obi-wan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew Palpatine was egging him on, but he couldn’t stop himself form saying, “make sure that you do.”

Palpatine let out a small huff before speaking to Roman and Qui-gon who had snuck up behind Obi-wan, “my, my boys. You certainly know how to make an entrance,” Palpatine chuckled. 

“Oh stop it Palps. You’re making me blush,” Roman tittered, the picture of pure nonchalance as Qui-gon left them without saying a word and went towards their table to shake hands with Rex and Cody, who were now sitting down.

“From what I’ve heard, your gentleman friend Mr. Jinn has been doing many things to make you blush Roman,” at this statement all the brightness seemed to deflate out of Roman, making Obi-wan stop himself from moving away so that he could get some fresh air. Looking towards his brother, Obi-wan was surprised to see his brother lose some of his luster so quickly.

“What are you talking about?” Roman’s voice was strong, but Obi-wan could detect a current of rage just beneath the surface.

“Oh your… _baby bird_ …, told me everything during our car ride home a few days ago. Sung like a canary to be honest,” Palpatine’s face broke into a smirk that was anything but pleasant.

Roman whispered in a deadly tone, “what else did Anakin tell you?”

“Just that you and Qui-gon have been seeing one another quite a bit over these past few weeks. Such a shame too considering Qui-gon is dear Kenobi’s best friend,” Palpatine goaded but Roman wasn’t taking the bait.

“Which reminds me…Anakin also mentioned that you have been helping Obi-wan with his campaign? How is that possible when you’ve also been helping me with mine?”

Obi-wan’s eyes snapped towards his brother, “what?”

Roman didn’t hesitate as he looked towards Obi-wan and simply said, “you don’t know the whole story.”

Obi-wan scoffed, “there’s a surprise!”

Roman didn’t say anything, but his eyes were clearly telling Obi-wan to stop talking. Obi-wan could feel his stomach drop and he knew it was only a matter of minutes before he broke into a cold sweat. He needed to compose himself. Looking in the direction of the bathrooms, where Satine was now leaving, Obi-wan was shocked to see Anakin rushing towards them.

Obi-wan didn’t hesitate. He knew this was him moment to catch Anakin and speak to him. He would leave Roman to deal with Palpatine. He had too much to deal with right now.

Without a second glance, Obi-wan scooted away and rushed towards the bathrooms.

It took all of his willpower not to run towards Anakin and call out his name now that he was so close. Obi-wan ignored his stomach as it rolled one more time, warning him that he didn’t have long before his body gave out on him. Pushing the bathroom door open with as much grace as was possible, Obi-wan stopped himself from tripping over his own two feet the moment he stepped through and saw the tall man standing at one of the sinks, head bowed down, hands against the countertop as though he was trying to collect his thoughts.

Whether Anakin actually heard Obi-wan enter or not, Obi-wan wasn’t sure because Anakin didn’t look up as Obi-wan came closer. Not willing to let another second pass him by, Obi-wan spoke softly, “Anakin?”

Anakin’s head snapped up, deep blue eyes glowering at Obi-wan through the mirror.

“Oh…it’s you.”

Obi-wan knew he deserved that, but it still hurt.

“I’m sorry.”

“I was hoping you were Roman, so I could apologize for saying what I did to Palpatine.”

“I’m sure Roman will forgive you,” Obi-wan tried.

“Maybe. It doesn’t really matter right now.”

Obi-wan could feel Anakin’s emotion from across the room.

“I wasn’t expecting Palpatine to say anything. Tell Roman that for me when you speak to him next.”

Obi-wan frowned at Anakin’s words. Why couldn’t Anakin say that himself? Not wishing to focus on that for the time being, Obi-wan tried again.

“I need you to stop working for Palpatine, Anakin. He isn’t good for you.”

Anakin sneered at him, “oh, and you are? From my perspective, Palpatine is offering me more opportunities to better myself and hasn’t taken advantage of me.”

Obi-wan couldn’t help the snort of derision at Anakin’s words, “that’s exactly what he’s doing Anakin! If you aren’t going to listen to my advice, so be it. But don’t expect to hold Palpatine in such high regard for long. He’s not a man that can be trusted. As for him taking advantage of you, I’m sorry if you feel I have.”

“Sorry? Sorry for what exactly?”

Obi-wan felt his cheeks warm, “there’s no need to bait me Anakin. I came in here to talk to you about what’s happened between us. I’m afraid I’ve…I’ve behaved very poorly, and I want to apologize.”

Obi-wan watched as Anakin’s shoulders dropped slightly, as though the wind had been taken out of his sails. But that didn’t stop the younger man from keeping his hard gaze on him as he turned around to look Obi-wan in the face. Crossing his arms across his chest, Obi-wan marvelled at how ridiculously handsome Anakin looked in front of him, even when upset. If nothing else, it made Obi-wan want to take Anakin into his arms and protect him.

“Oh I see. You’ve behaved, _poorly_ have you? Well, that’s one way of putting it. I’m glad to see you aren’t completely incapable of apologizing.”

“If you give me the chance, I would like to apologize properly Anakin. I can only say so much in a men’s bathroom,” Obi-wan wasn’t trying to be funny. He could feel his hands beginning to shake as Anakin continued to stare him down. 

Anakin’s eyes narrowed, “are you serious right now?”

Obi-wan’s mouth opened and closed. He wasn’t sure what Anakin wanted to hear, but something told him he was missing the mark.

“I…I don’t…” Obi-wan tried, but was silenced as Anakin began to step closer to him.

“You come in here…trying to apologize for…God only knows. I truly don’t even know if you have any idea what you need to apologize for, and you say that you’ve _behaved poorly_? Tell me Obi-wan, are you even capable of showing an emotion?”

Obi-wan gasped at Anakin’s harsh words, “that’s not fair Anakin.”

Anakin finally stopped moving. Standing in front of Obi-wan, he could only look up at Anakin as he stared at Obi-wan with disgust on his face.

“I’ll tell you what’s not fair Obi-wan. What’s not fair is having feelings for someone for years, finally working with them side by side, getting closer to them, opening your heart to this person, talking about things that you haven’t confessed to anyone else, then finally getting the courage to ask them to spend the night with you, making love to them…” Obi-wan’s eyes widened at Anakin’s confession, which stopped Anakin from speaking. Instead, Anakin’s eyes, which had been searching Obi-wan’s face since he started talking, tracked Obi-wan’s wide eyed expression.

“Oh sorry…not making love then…you seem surprised by that Obi-wan. Okay. Fucking then? Does that sound better? Does that work for you? Alright…fucking them…” Obi-wan tried to open his mouth to stop Anakin from saying such things, but Anakin held up his large hand to stop him.

“…only to have that person desert you in the early morning and not speak to you until the guilt became so much that they feel the need to corner you in a bathroom. That’s what’s not fair Obi-wan. Not anything else.”

Obi-wan didn’t know what to say. He had come in here with the intent to confess to Anakin that he was sorry and that he wanted to start a relationship with him, just not yet, especially this close to the election, but he knew that whatever he said now would be used against him.

“I’m sorry,” was all he could manage, and he winced as Anakin smirked down at him.

“I’m sure you are. Sorry you got caught up with a younger man who obviously isn’t perfect enough for the self-righteous Obi-wan Kenobi.”

Obi-wan’s cheeks were in flames. He couldn’t bear to hear any more.

Obi-wan’s voice thundered around the bathroom, “that’s NOT true Anakin!” Obi-wan could only hope that the band behind the bathroom door hadn’t stopped playing, or else everyone would have heard him.

Anakin seemed to realize the same thing as he quickly turned on his heel and turned the lock on the bathroom door to ensure nobody else came in. Obi-wan stayed stock still where Anakin left him seconds ago, unable to look anywhere but the space Anakin had vacated seconds ago, only to see it filled again as Anakin stepped back into his view. Obi-wan saw sadness begin to creep into his handsome features as he stared at him once more. 

“Then tell me what is true Obi-wan,” Anakin said seriously. 

Obi-wan ran his hands through his hair is distress.

This whole night wasn’t going as planned. He needed to collect himself before he spoke to Anakin, but he knew he only had mere minutes before Anakin walked away from him. He was sure he only had seconds before supper started and so did the speeches, so he had to do something!

So far, his words hadn’t done anything to appease Anakin, so Obi-wan did the one thing he could think of in the time he had left. Reaching up, Obi-wan grasped Anakin’s head in his two hands and pulled until his lips met Anakin’s out of desperation. Without thinking, Obi-wan closed his eyes, unable to look at Anakin’s sad blue eyes anymore, and let himself sink into the feeling of Anakin’s soft mouth on his once more.

God, he had been a fool.

A rush of memories of the last time he and Anakin had been like this bombarded Obi-wan’s mind as Anakin’s smell surrounded him and Obi-wan became lost. Not noticing that Anakin’s hands had yet to grasp him, Obi-wan used Anakin’s shock to his advantage and pushed his tongue against Anakin’s lips, which opened slightly, allowing Obi-wan to plunder his mouth and search out his taste onto his tongue.

Moaning softly, Obi-wan wanted to let Anakin know how he was feeling by kissing him deeply. He wanted to show Anakin that he was unable to let go. That despite how sick he had been feeling all night, Anakin calmed him. That he needed him.

Running his hands through Anakin’s soft curls, Obi-wan let go of Anakin’s mouth slightly just so he could whisper “I’m sorry,” before slamming his lips against Anakin’s again, not letting Anakin say anything in return, even as the younger man tried to open his mouth to say something before Obi-wan ambushed him. Unable to control himself now that the damn had broken, Obi-wan was struggling with the onslaught of emotion that was bearing itself down on him. Every emotion that he had kept locked up since sleeping with Anakin was coming out full force and Obi-wan was incapable of stopping it. So Obi-wan continued to kiss Anakin, unwilling to let him go.

Obi-wan could feel Anakin’s hands starting to move as they came up to grasp at Obi-wan’s shoulders. Afraid that Anakin would try and push him away, Obi-wan pulled himself away from Anakin and grabbing two fistfuls of Anakin’s dress shirt. Before Anakin could react, Obi-wan pushed until Anakin began to walk backwards, not stopping until his back was up against the bathroom wall. Anakin’s hands scrambled for purchase as Obi-wan stepped right up to him, making sure every inch of his body was touching Anakin’s so that he could lean in and kiss him again.

Obi-wan wasn’t sure what he was trying to prove, but if nothing else, it had stopped Anakin from leaving and Obi-wan was considering that as win.

Time seemed to stop.

Obi-wan wasn’t sure how long he had been kissing Anakin, but he could feel his lips tingling against Anakin’s and based on the soft sighs coming from Anakin’s mouth, Obi-wan was confident that Anakin was feeling just as lost.

Suddenly…Obi-wan could feel Anakin’s hands begin to push him away. Making a soft moan against Anakin’s throat, Obi-wan lifted his head to look up at him, only to have any good feelings that he was currently experiencing disappear at the look of anger on Anakin’s face.

Obi-wan took an immediate step back, letting Anakin go completely. 

“So is that how it’s going to be?” Anakin’s voice was shaky, but Obi-wan couldn’t tell if it was because of the affect Obi-wan’s kiss was having on him, or because he was just that angry. Obi-wan tried to right himself as best he could as Anakin moved from the wall and walked over to the sink to fix himself up.

Turning on the tap, Obi-wan watched as Anakin leaned down to splash cold water onto his face and then took his hand to collect some water so that he could rinse his mouth out with water. For some reason, that action alone made Obi-wan lose whatever sense of control he still had.

Obi-wan began to shake uncontrollably, his anxiety coming back full force.

This evening was a complete disaster and Obi-wan had nobody to blame but himself. He didn’t know how he was going to go out there again and face everyone. Not after what had just taken place with Anakin, who was now readjusting his shirt, and doing a very good job of putting himself back together so that nobody would know he had had one Obi-wan Kenobi practically crawling all over him moments ago.

Anakin didn’t show any remorse as he stood a couple of feet away from Obi-wan, with a calculating look.

“If you think I’m going to let you have your way with me again, only to leave me, you don’t know me as well as I thought you did.”

Obi-wan swallowed hard, “I wasn’t trying to have my way with you. I was trying to show you how much you mean to me. I never meant to hurt you.”

Anakin’s gaze didn’t waver as he listened, “well you did. Even when I tried to speak to you the next day, you turned me away. The only reason you’re speaking to me now is because the great Obi-wan Kenobi has decided it’s time. Nobody calls you the _negotiator_ for nothing.”

Obi-wan winced at Anakin’s harsh words. But he knew deep down that Anakin had a point.

“You’re right. You’re making me see things about myself that I was only willing to see a few months ago. I’m not perfect Anakin. I should never have left you like I did. But you have to know that it meant more to me than you could imagine. That’s why I left. I was feeling too much.”

Obi-wan was surprised when Anakin let his guard down for a moment, and his facial expression changed to one of surprise, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. Anakin’s eyes began to brighten. Obi-wan used this to his advantage, “I will spend whatever time you give me proving how much you mean to me Anakin.” Obi-wan watched as Anakin processed what he was saying, before nodding his head in agreement.

“If I open this door, are you willing to walk out with me and show everyone that we are together?”

Whatever little hope Obi-wan had gained in these last few moments talking with Anakin, was now completely gone. Obi-wan could feel his heart almost beating out of his chest. He knew he wanted to give Anakin everything, but this was asking too much. He just couldn’t do it. Not yet. It was too soon. Obi-wan stayed silent. There was nothing he could say that would make this any easier on Anakin.

But he didn’t have to say anything. His silence did the talking for him.

The more he didn’t say anything, the more he saw Anakin’s happiness begin to crumble. Obi-wan watched as Anakin resigned himself to the fact that Obi-wan would never change. Suddenly, Anakin’s eyes filled with tears and as Obi-wan reached forward to try and comfort him, Anakin took a step back and moved towards the door.

“It’s not that I don’t want to Anakin. Please believe me, but I can’t do that right now. You don’t know the world I know. I…” Obi-wan stopped talking as Anakin laughed dismissively at Obi-wan’s comment.

“I work for your brother Obi-wan. I think I know more than you do.”

“All I’m trying to say Anakin is that once the election is over, I want to start something with you.”

“But what about what’s happened between us? Did it all mean nothing to you?”

Obi-wan was horrified that Anakin felt this way, “absolutely not! It meant everything to me Anakin! That’s why this is so hard. I don’t want to leave you, but I can’t in good conscience be with you until after the election. I’m trying to protect you!” 

Anakin let out a small sob and Obi-wan dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands to stop himself from reaching out to him, knowing that that wasn’t what Anakin wanted.

“You sure have a funny way of showing it.”

“I’m sorry,” was all Obi-wan could say.

Anakin’s face twisted into anger, “will you STOP fucking saying your sorry?! I don’t care! I want you Obi! I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you and you won’t let me in! You come at me, making me think you feel the same way about me as I do you, and yet the minute things become too difficult…the minute you have to show some sort of emotion and let that wall down…you leave me.”

Not for the first time, Obi-wan felt his heart constrict at Anakin’s words.

“I need to do what’s right Anakin,” Obi-wan whispered.

Anakin turned his sorrowful eyes towards Obi-wan once last time, “don’t you have any faith that what we have is special enough to get through anything?”

“I have complete faith that once this election is over, you and I will be able to build on what we have and make something extraordinary,” Obi-wan said as clearly as he could.

Anakin sniffed and nodded his head as though he understood what Obi-wan was trying to say, “but sometimes having faith means believing in things even when your instincts are telling you not to. Aren’t you tired of always doing what your brain tells you to, and not your heart?”

Obi-wan smiled warmly at Anakin, “common sense is what has gotten me this far Anakin.” Obi-wan didn’t mean to sound unkind, but he needed Anakin to understand that he was doing the right thing, and trying to protect him. Straightening his shoulders, Anakin looked at Obi-wan with a steeliness that Obi-wan would have admired in him on any given day, but not right now. 

“Well…,” Anakin smiled slightly, but it wasn’t a smile of happiness. It was the smile of someone who was completely beaten down. The fact that Obi-wan had put it there made him feel worse now, more than ever before.

“I sure hope that common sense keeps you company for years to come Obi-wan, because after this election is over, I don’t ever want to see you again,” and without a second glance Anakin reached towards the lock on the door and unlocked it. Before Obi-wan could do anything, Anakin slipped out of the bathroom with his head held high.

Obi-wan rested his head against the hand dryer beside him, as he tired to calm himself down. He had successfully gone without a panic attack tonight, even with everything that had happened, and he would be damned if he had one now. Taking a few deep breaths, Obi-wan tried not to think about what Anakin had just told him.

He couldn’t think about it, otherwise he would fall apart.

Obi-wan was startled out of his current state at the sound of the bathroom door opening once more. Obi-wan looked up and was surprised to see his brother standing before him.

“I take it negotiations didn’t go well?” Roman leaned beside him. Obi-wan leaned upright to try and fix himself up, but didn’t say a word as Roman came towards him to try and fix his suit and tie. Obi-wan could only stare as his brother helped him. 

“Thanks,” Obi-wan whispered as Roman stepped away and tilted his head to observe Obi-wan, before giving him a thumbs up.

“Don’t mention it.” Roman was quiet for a moment. “So…the fact that you aren’t chasing me out of here speaks volumes as to how well your talk with Anakin went…I’m assuming,” Roman ventured.

Obi-wan closed his eyes. He was suddenly so tired.

“How did you know?”

Roman just shrugged his shoulders, “I’ve known Anakin for awhile now. I can tell when he’s covering up.”

“Oh…” Obi-wan said softly as he stared down at his feet, suddenly embarrassed to be talking to his brother about his love life…or lack of love life…with Anakin.

“You’re going to fix this,” Roman said firmly and Obi-wan lifted his gaze towards his brother, swallowing thickly at just how resolved his brother sounded. Obi-wan could only nod his head. He wanted to fix things so badly, but he had managed to only make things worse.

“I might need your help,” Obi-wan couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, but he was even more surprised by Roman’s look of pure delight at his words.

“Baby brother, I would be delighted!” 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman and Qui-gon find a quiet moment alone the next morning after the events of the banquet the night before, and Obi-wan finds a way to be honest with himself, and in the process with Anakin, who may or may not be keeping a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I have been looking forward to posting another chapter for awhile now, and I'm so glad this one is done. Once again, thank you for all of the lovely comments and kudos! Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen

Qui-gon lets out a small, surprised yelp as he’s spun around and grabbed by Roman, who grips his sleep shirt tightly in both hands and moves him towards the sink. For someone as large as Qui-gon, he is constantly astounded by how quickly Roman can roughly move him, especially this early in the morning. But before he can say a word, Roman grabs the spatula he’s been using to stir his eggs and throws it in the sink behind them. The vibrations of the plastic spatula hitting the side of the sink haven’t even disappeared before Roman’s hot mouth is on his once more. 

Roman gripped the back of his head with one hand, holding onto his hair tightly, while his other began trailing down his chest, until it reached the drawstring of his sweatpants and began to pull. It wasn’t until Roman began to sneak his hand inside that Qui-gon gently brought his hand down to stop him. Roman quickly let go of Qui-gon’s mouth and stared up at him with a sour look. Qui-gon couldn’t help but chuckle softly at Roman’s expression, knowing that his lover hated being halted when he was in one of his moods.

But even with this in mind, Qui-gon’s large hand wrapped itself around Roman’s smaller one, stopping him from going any further. It was still early in the morning and they weren’t exactly alone in the house.

“What are you doing Roman,” Qui-gon smiled gently at him, ensuring Roman knew he was teasing rather than reprimanding him. The bitter expression on Roman’s face disappeared slightly, but he still raised an eyebrow at him as though trying to say… _if you don’t know by now_ …

“What I mean is, when did you get here,” Qui-gon corrected. Both he and Roman had decided that last night was not the night to spend together. After whatever happened between Obi-wan and Anakin at the banquet, and the fact that Obi-wan had just figured out they were seeing one another, both Roman and Qui-gon needed to look after their respective friends.

“You know Obi-wan is upstairs…he wouldn’t want to find you…you here,” Qui-gon stuttered out the last part as Roman chose that very moment to move both of their hands towards Qui-gon’s sweatpants once more, before reaching inside his underwear, where Qui-gon cock was slowly beginning to show interest. When Roman caught his eye and smirked, Qui-gon knew he was running out of options, so he decided to play dirty too. 

“You know your brother is only a few feet away.” Qui-gon was somewhat happy with himself for showing such persistence, even while Roman’s warm hand kept itself firmly in his underwear. It wasn’t until Roman rolled his eyes at him that Qui-gon knew he wasn’t going to win this battle.

“You and I both know that Obi-wan is dead to the world right now. He had an emotional evening darling,” Roman brought his mouth towards Qui-gon’s once more and kissed him subtly before biting Qui-gon’s lip. Qui-gon closed his eyes against the sensation as Roman shuffled closer so that there was only a small amount of space between them. Roman used Qui-gon’s confused state to quickly bring Qui-gon’s hand out from his underwear and place it on the counter behind him. Qui-gon didn’t hesitate as he gripped the countertop tightly, only now able to watch as Roman brought his own hand back down to his sweatpants and place it back inside his underwear. The heat from his hand alone was enough to make Qui-gon shiver.

“Roman…” Qui-gon whispered as Roman slowly began to stroke him, bringing his fingertips to the base of his cock and stroking softly, before bringing them up lightly and rubbing his thumb against the tip.

“Hmmmm…” Roman hummed against Qui-gon’s mouth, clearly enjoying Qui-gon’s lack of control.

Qui-gon couldn’t help but laugh faintly before his breath caught on a small moan as Roman continued to caress him, “you’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

Roman’s laughter twinkled around his kitchen before he kissed Qui-gon deeply, only letting go to whisper, “of course I am darling. I have you all to myself and I’ve missed feeling you against me.”

Qui-gon let his head fall back as Roman began to move his mouth down his neck, slowly brushing whatever hair that was in his way to the side. Qui-gon knew he was getting a little too needy when it came to having Roman’s hands on him. He was beginning to become obsessed with Roman playing with his hair, and if he were being honest with himself, he knew that if he ever told anyone about it, they would probably say he had a problem.

But at this point in time, he could care less.

Roman seemed to know this as he buried his free hand into Qui-gon’s long strands, gently kissing and biting his way down to the collar of Qui-gon’s t-shirt, while the hand against his cock began to move faster. Before Qui-gon could stop himself, he found himself blurting, “I want to get my hands on you.” 

Qui-gon could feel Roman smile against his skin, “fucking right you do,” before he moved away and fell to his knees, carrying Qui-gon’s sweatpants and underwear down with him, allowing Qui-gon’s long, hard cock to spring free. Qui-gon swallowed past a lump in his throat as he watched Roman stare up at him, with nothing but pure lust showing on his face.

“I’m happy to wax poetic with you at anytime Qui,” Roman muttered against his hipbone, “but right now I need you in my mouth.”

“Then what are you waiting for,” Qui-gon hissed and caught Roman’s eyes who seemed to light up at his obvious consent. Without missing a beat, Roman opened his mouth and brought the tip of Qui-gon’s cock into his warm, wet mouth, sucking slightly. Qui-gon couldn’t stop the shudder leaving his body as he tipped his head back and let Roman use his body as he saw fit. Any fleeting thoughts about Obi-wan still being in the house were completely gone as Roman took his hands and ran them up and down Qui-gon’s thighs to calm him.

Qui-gon was so focused on the pleasure Roman was giving him that he was not prepared for Roman to grab one of his hands and place it on the back of his head as though giving him permission to control some of his movements. Qui-gon’s eyes widened, knowing full well what Roman was asking of him. Moving his gaze downwards, Qui-gon couldn’t help but watch as Roman continued to take him deeper and deeper, only to move his head off of him completely and say in a gruff voice, “I love everything about you Qui. I love how you feel, how you taste, your smell. Give it to me,” before placing his lips back on his cock and swallowing him completely.

Qui-gon’s hands begin to shake against the countertop and Roman’s head. 

“Oh God…Roman,” Qui-gon gasped before he tightened his fingers in Roman’s soft locks and began to move his head back and forth, causing Roman to moan around his cock at the feeling, digging his fingers into Qui-gon’s hips to keep him grounded.

Qui-gon was unravelling quickly.

Being swallowed down by Roman’s hot, eager mouth was not what he had been expecting when he first started making breakfast this morning, but Roman’s lips wrapped around him looked obscene and sinful in the best way possible, especially when Roman looked up at him once more and winked.

Fucking _winked_. 

Before Qui-gon could stop himself, he began to shove his cock deeper and deeper into Roman’s eager mouth, while Roman continued to suck harder and move his head with each and every one of Qui-gon’s movements, clearly enjoying himself, knowing that he was the one causing Qui-gon to lose control faster than anyone.

Qui-gon could feel his body tightening up and he knew that Roman could feel it too. They’d been sleeping together long enough to know each other’s signals and sounds of pleasure, so when Qui-gon began to caress Roman’s head to warn him that he was coming quickly, he expected Roman to move away, but instead Roman closed his eyes as though Qui-gon’s pleasure was becoming too much for him, and moved his mouth up and down Qui-gon’s cock faster than ever before, breathing deeply through his nose.

“Roman…I’m…I’m going to…” Qui-gon’s breath was coming out in short pants as Roman’s mouth left him feeling out of control. Qui-gon continued to card his fingers through Roman’s hair, warning him of what was to come, “Roman…please…” Qui-gon wasn’t sure what he was asking Roman for, but as always, the man before him seemed to know. Removing his mouth, Roman gripped his hips even tighter, so tight in fact that Qui-gon was sure that there would be bruises there tomorrow, and a small part of him knew that Roman was doing that on purpose.

Marking him.

Owning him.

Claiming him, by making sure others knew Qui-gon belonged to him and only him. 

Taking one of his hands away from his hip, Roman stroked Qui-gon’s cock from root to tip, keeping his face close, breath caressing the hot skin of Qui-gon’s cock. Roman wrapped a hand around the base and squeezed, which dragged a loud moan out of Qui-gon before Roman leaned forward and swirled his tongue around the head of his cock. Roman began to fuck his mouth onto him, bringing his lips down to his hand, before coming back up.

“Roman… _my love_ …” Qui-gon could feel, rather than hear, Roman sigh at this nickname before he began to swallow around him, which finally gave Qui-gon the permission he needed to let go. Not able to control himself any longer, Qui-gon let his cock pulse over and over inside Roman’s warm mouth, who continued to swallow around him until Qui-gon’s come began to escape his lips. Qui-gon let out a pained noise as Roman continued to suckle at him, but he didn’t let go until Qui-gon was completely spent and slowly slipping towards the floor on shaky legs.

Qui-gon felt as though he was shaking all over, his legs like jelly, as he let himself collapse onto the cold tiled floor. Qui-gon didn’t realize just how much he was out of it until Roman joined him on the floor and began licking at his neck and temples, nuzzling him everywhere he could reach, while running his hands up and down his body. Everything was hazy and warm, and Qui-gon knew without a doubt that he could stay on the kitchen floor for hours if it was just the two of them. Feeling Roman’s weight against him, Qui-gon wanted to bury himself in his body and not let go until Roman feels just as good as he made him feel.

“Why do you make me come like an overeager teenager,” Qui-gon couldn’t help but ask as soon as he opened his eyes and saw Roman laying beside him, head resting on his chest, idly playing with his chest hair. Looking up towards him, Qui-gon was surprised to see a note of embarrassment in Roman’s features, as though Roman didn’t know what to say.

“What can I say, I’m just that good,” Roman smirked, but Qui-gon could tell Roman didn’t really want to talk about it. As far as Qui-gon could tell, both he and Roman were willing to enjoy whatever was happening between them, and not look into it took hard. Qui-gon also knew Roman was more of an action man than he was a man who used his words, so if nothing else, Qui-gon could use this to his advantage. Without hesitation, Qui-gon decided to act quickly and wrapped Roman up in his arms before changing their positions so that Roman was below him and he was on top. Qui-gon secretly liked this position best, as it often reminded him of their first experience together when Roman accosted him in his office and they made out in his office.

Roman giggled loudly, clearly pleased with Qui-gon’s antics, “didn’t you say Obi-wan was still here?”

Qui-gon was about to open his mouth to give a witty reply when the door to the kitchen swung open and Obi-wan walked though, eyes focused on the newspaper in his hands rather than on what was happening on his kitchen floor. Knowing he only had seconds to make a terrible situation somewhat bearable, Qui-gon reached towards the oven where there was a tea towel hanging and flung it over his bottom half in order to try and cover up whatever skin was showing, let alone Roman’s current state of arousal. 

Sensing movement out of the corner of his eye, Obi-wan peered towards them and went pale at the sight of the two of them. Without saying a word, Obi-wan slammed the newspaper onto the island and turned on his heel. Banging his hand against the kitchen door, it swung forward and Obi-wan stomped out. It wasn’t until the door was completely closed that Qui-gon heard him shout, “is it too much to ask that you two DON’T FORNICATE on our kitchen floor?”

Knowing he was going to have to be the one to be mature about this, Qui-gon got up as quickly as he could, and helped Roman up as well who gladly took the tea towel from Qui-gon’s hands and wiped him down before leaning in one more time to kiss Qui-gon gently, before Qui-gon pulled up his underwear and sweatpants in an attempt to gain some dignity. 

“Tonight?” Qui-gon knew what Roman was asking as he spoke that one word and he quickly nodded his head in agreement, “tonight. Don’t be late.”

Roman winked at him, causing Qui-gon’s cock to twitch slightly, remembering what was taking place the last time Roman winked at him, before rearranging his clothes and making himself presentable. He waited for Roman to find a place to sit, which just so happened to be their kitchen island, before telling Obi-wan it was safe to come back in. Still slightly pink around the cheeks and ears, Obi-wan stomped his way back inside and only stopped when Roman handed back his newspaper.

Obi-wan eyed it wearily, before moving away, “keep it.” 

Roman didn’t say a word, but both he and Qui-gon watched Obi-wan as he went towards the fridge and brought out the carton of orange juice, pouring himself a glass before he made his way towards one of the stools that was around their island. Taking a seat on the stool furthest away from Roman he asked, “why do I get the feeling that you’re waiting for me to explode or something?” Obi-wan refused to make eye contact with either of them, but keep his gaze on his glass of orange juice instead. 

“Well, considering you just found out about Roman and I yesterday and…” Qui-gon didn’t know how to continue. Looking towards Roman for support, his lover was uncharacteristically silent. Instead he was watching Obi-wan with an uncertain, sad look.

“I don’t know what to tell you Qui-gon, but I think I can piece everything together on my own. Right now I have other things to focus on, not the stupidity of the two people in front of me,” for the first time since he entered their kitchen, Obi-wan lifted his grey eyes towards Qui-gon and he could see the sadness and anger hidden within the depths of Obi-wan’s eyes. 

“Have you been in contact with Anakin yet,” Roman spoke calmly, breaking the tension that had been slowly building between Obi-wan and Qui-gon, which surprised Qui-gon, because he knew full well that Roman wouldn’t have liked what Obi-wan had just said. 

“I’m planning on going over to his apartment later on this afternoon,” Obi-wan stated matter-of-fact without any trace of emotion. Roman didn’t seem convinced, but Qui-gon was at a loss as to what Roman and Obi-wan were talking about. Opening his mouth to ask questions, Roman turned towards Qui-gon as though understanding that he felt out of the loop, “Obi-wan is going to try and make amends with Anakin. He fucked up big time.”

Obi-wan scoffed loudly, “I didn’t fuck up anything. Anakin is just being stubborn. He didn’t understand what I was trying to say to him last night. I’m going to try again.” Qui-gon kept his eyes on his best friend as he stated his case, knowing deep down that Obi-wan didn’t feel as confident as he sounded.

“You did too fuck things up, otherwise you wouldn’t be asking for my help,” Roman jumped down off of the island and crossed his arms across his chest. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Must have been a moment of insanity,” Obi-wan sneered unkindly, while he finished his orange juice in one, large gulp. 

Qui-gon couldn’t help but feel protective of Roman as he watched him deflate a little bit at Obi-wan’s words. Without having to say anything, Qui-gon knew that Roman probably secretly wanted his brother to ask for his help, and wanted to for a long time now. So having Obi-wan say that just made him feel useless and unwanted once more.

“What did you want Roman to help you with,” Qui-gon asked as evenly as he could, hoping to get more information out of Obi-wan before he left for the day. They still had so much to discuss, and yet Qui-gon was certain Obi-wan wasn’t going to make it easy.

“I asked if he could help me get Anakin back,” Obi-wan seemed to stop himself from continuing and Qui-gon watched as his mouth turned down into a sad frown, “if I ever even had him.”

Before Qui-gon could say anything to comfort his friend, Roman chimed in, “of course you did. Anakin has been in love with you for years. You’ve always had him. You just didn’t realize it.” Roman seemed the most confident about this entire situation, and even though Qui-gon only knew a little bit about what had happened between Obi-wan and Anakin the night before, he believed Roman was right.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but Anakin wouldn’t even talk to me, let alone look at me last night. I hurt him, but I just need him to understand that after the election…” Obi-wan was cut off by Roman lifting his hands in the air dramatically.

“Oh spare me. You keep talking about the election. Forget about the fucking election. Go to Anakin’s apartment NOW and tell him you want to be with him. End of story.”

Qui-gon saw the hesitation in Obi-wan’s posture, but could see him thawing a little bit around the edges. Hoping to help boost his confidence, Qui-gon put in his two cents, “I agree with Roman.” Qui-gon knew immediately that that had been the wrong thing to say. Obi-wan turned his laser like focus on him and frowned, “great, just great. Not only do I have my brother telling me how to run my love life, but now my best friend agrees with him. Do I have anybody on my side?”

Qui-gon was stung by Obi-wan’s words but he pressed on, “I’ve always been on your side my friend. I just agree with what Roman is saying. You deserve to be happy.”

Once again, Qui-gon watched as Obi-wan eyed him wearily. “Says the person who kept one of the biggest things happening in his life from me.”

Qui-gon winced inwardly, but deep down Qui-gon knew that Obi-wan deserved to know the whole story, as well as be told how deeply Roman and he were beginning to feel for one another. As far as Obi-wan knew, Roman had somehow managed to creep his way into his brother’s life by making moves on his best friend and Qui-gon himself was too oblivious to know otherwise. Based on the simple fact that he had caught them with their pants down… _literally_ …this morning, would only help drive that point home, which was probably why Obi-wan wasn’t backing down when it came to how he felt about his brother. 

“I have to go see Anakin,” Obi-wan cut off Qui-gon’s thoughts as he made his way towards the swinging kitchen door once more. Both Qui-gon and Roman turned towards him and watched him get ready to leave without saying a word. Both seemed to understand when a good time was to speak to Obi-wan about his feelings, and obviously this wasn’t one of those times. As if sensing that people were waiting for him to ease the tension, Obi-wan sighed deeply before turning around and looking at the wo men. 

“Look…I…I know we have a lot to talk about regarding…,” Obi-wan moved his finger, pointing at the both of them, “whatever this is…but it’s going to have to wait. I need to clear things up with Anakin. He’s important to me and I need to fix whatever I broke, but know that you’re important to me too,” Obi-wan pointed at Qui-gon specifically and smiled slightly.

“I just need some time to sort things out. As for you…” now Obi-wan looked at Roman who seemed to be wondering what Obi-wan was about to say.

“Thanks…for saying you would help. I’ll let you know how things go with Anakin. If nothing works, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

Roman seemed to brighten up at his brother’s words, “showing up naked underneath a trench coat always works!”

Obi-wan rolled his eyes and waved good-bye, “not happening Roman. See you guys later.”

Qui-gon waited until he knew Obi-wan was out of earshot before he turned to Roman and said in all seriousness, “what kind of trench coat?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days later, Obi-wan held his finger over the buzzer which would connect him to Anakin’s apartment. He had been trying for the past week to contact Anakin, to no avail. It was obvious that the man was ignoring him, and no matter what suggestions Roman or Qui-gon gave him, it didn’t help.

Obi-wan stared at buzzer. He tried counting to ten, but still couldn’t press the button. Taking a deep breath, Obi-wan tried to muster the courage to try again, but just couldn’t do it. It was obvious why he couldn’t. If he pressed the buzzer and Anakin answered, what was to say he would even let Obi-wan in? The buzzer was the one and only thing Obi-wan had left to try and connect to Anakin, who had so far ignored every other line of communication. He wouldn’t answer his phone, he most certainly ignored his texts, and even when Obi-wan tried to have Satine phone from her phone so Anakin wouldn’t think it was Obi-wan, he quickly hung up and said he was busy. 

Anything and everything to do with Obi-wan, Anakin was ignoring and it hurt Obi-wan’s heart knowing that he had done this to the young man. Anakin deserved better, and Obi-wan wanted the opportunity to tell him that he could give it to him, regardless of how he had behaved in the past.

Before Obi-wan could move his finger to press the buzzer, the door to Anakin’s apartment building opened and out walked a little old lady.

“Hello dear,” she said kindly to Obi-wan who smiled back before catching the door with his foot. Without missing a beat, Obi-wan brought his hand forward and shook the lady’s hand.

“Do I know you from somewhere?” The lady tilted her head to one side as she observed him.

“I’m Obi-wan Kenobi,” Obi-wan wanted nothing more than to reach Anakin, but knew his best bet was speaking with this lady so she didn’t think he was a murderer waiting to attack.

“Oh! Obi-wan Kenobi! What a pleasure it is to meet you! What are you doing on this side of town?”

_Looking to reconnect with my young lover_ …Obi-wan thought to himself, but quickly brushed that thought away as he continued to smile and simple said, “I’m hear to meet a colleague of mine. We have to go over some things with my last speech before the election.” Obi-wan hated making small talk, but as he moved closer towards the door that was now wide open for him to go through, he was willing to wait.

“How wonderful! Well, I won’t hold you up dearie. Best of luck. I was planning on voting for you anyways, but after meeting you in person I can honestly say you look lovelier in person than you do on the TV,” and before Obi-wan could comment she tootled off. Feeling slightly taken aback by her comment, Obi-wan decided to tuck it away for later as he dashed through the door and started making his way up the stairs to Anakin’s apartment. Feeling slightly out of breath as he reached Anakin’s apartment door, Obi-wan took a moment to readjust his suit and run a hand through his hair, hoping he looked less wind blown than he felt after climbing up the stairs two at a time. 

Without a moment’s hesitation now that he was seconds away from seeing Anakin, Obi-wan knocked on his door loudly, ensuring that no matter where Anakin was in his apartment he would hear him. It was only a matter of seconds before Obi-wan heard Anakin’s quiet footfalls behind his door and the lock begin to turn. Anakin’s smiling face greeted him as he opened his door, but quickly fell away as he saw who was standing before him. Whatever confidence Obi-wan had been feeling as he made his way towards Anakin quickly disappeared, but he was determined to stick it out for as long as Anakin would have him.

“What are you doing here,” Anakin’s tone was cold and clipped.

“I want to talk with you,” Obi-wan was happy that his voice sounded as steady as it did.

“I’m expecting Padme here soon. That’s who I thought was at the door.”

“If you’d known it was me would you have even opened it,” Obi-wan hated having to ask but he had to know.

“No,” Anakin said quickly. Obi-wan looked up at Anakin in shock. Never before had he been denied access to Anakin, and knowing now that Anakin would turn him away the moment he was given the chance hurt like hell. Not for the first time, Obi-wan couldn’t help but wonder if there was anything he could do to fix what he had done. Anakin seemed to sense this as he managed to look slightly sheepish at Obi-wan’s wide eyed, sad expression, and brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck as though the conversation was stressing him out already.

“What do you want Obi-wan? I’m busy here.”

“If you’ll let me in, I wish to speak to you and I would like to do it not in your hallway where everyone can hear us. NOT…” Obi-wan said this part loudly as soon as he saw Anakin’s stormy look.

“…because I’m afraid of people seeing us together Anakin, but because this is a private conversation and based on one of your neighbours I met outside your apartment building, they know enough about me as it is.” Upon saying this, Anakin’s expression seemed to soften and he chuckled slightly, “you must be talking about Mrs. Smith. Little old lady?” Obi-wan shook his head yes.

“She likes to talk about anybody famous in Coruscant. She is a bit of a gossip.”

“Do you think I look better in person or on TV,” Obi-wan asked selfishly as he waited for Anakin to open his door to let him in, which Anakin did as he peered at Obi-wan in curiosity.

“What do you mean?”

“Mrs. Smith said I looked better in person than on TV and that’s why she’s voting for me,” Obi-wan said grudgingly, but was beyond happy when Anakin tilted his head back and laughed aloud. 

“What do you think?” Obi-wan couldn’t help but try his luck with Anakin, and his heart skipped a beat the moment Anakin looked at him softly and said without any malice, “I think you look great no matter where you are.” Before Obi-wan could comment, Anakin turned away and made his way to the kitchen. Obi-wan could only hope Anakin wasn’t embarrassed by what he just said, and wasn’t berating himself for being honest. Taking off his shoes and making his way towards Anakin, Obi-wan took a look around and was struck at how cozy and comforting Anakin’s apartment looked. Anakin had clearly been cleaning since the last time he was here as the coffee table was no longer littered with newspapers, his dishes seem to have been cleared away, and Anakin’s apartment seemed less cluttered than before.

Taking another look, Obi-wan stopped short as he noticed what looked like a few moving boxes in the corner of his apartment. All of a sudden, Obi-wan’s mouth seemed dry and his tongue felt heavy. Not knowing what to do with himself, Obi-wan allowed his feet to move him towards the moving boxes and before he can stop himself he got close enough that he could read the label that was on one of them.

Obi-wan almost let out a huff of disbelief as he saw Anakin’s neat printing on it, indicating that _Books – Living Room_ was inside the box.

“Anakin…” Obi-wan didn’t mean to sound like he was in distress, but something was happening and whatever it was, it felt wrong and complicated. Something wasn’t right and Obi-wan couldn’t help but feel as though he had stumbled onto a train track with no way of getting off, only to have a freight train coming towards him. Obi-wan’s head turned towards Anakin who was now making his way out of his kitchen, with another moving box in his hands. Staring at Obi-wan with a questioning look, Anakin placed the box down on the floor and moved towards Obi-wan, stuffing his hands into his jean’s pockets.

“Yeah…sorry…I know it’s a bit of a mess in here. But I’ve been busy packing.”

Obi-wan stared at Anakin, not knowing if he meant to sound so nonchalant about this or not, but either way it was making Obi-wan feel upset, as though a weight was starting to press on his chest.

“I’m…I’m not worried about the mess Anakin. What…what are these,” Obi-wan gestured towards the moving boxes and watched as Anakin continued to stare at him as though he didn’t understand why Obi-wan was getting so distressed.

“I’m moving out. I decided to apply at another university a few cities over and try engineering. I thought it was time to follow Roman’s and Padme’s advice and do something I’m good at,” Anakin sounded so sincere it was everything in Obi-wan not to take Anakin by the shoulders and shake him. Instead, he pressed on by asking more questions.

“But, what about Palpatine? I thought you were interested in working on his campaign!”

At this Anakin’s look got fiery, “yeah…so did I. But after last night it was confirmed to me what I had pretty much known all along. Palpatine only wants to me for one thing and I’m not interested.” Obi-wan didn’t say a word, and he suddenly feeling sick to his stomach, Obi-wan could feel his anxiety kicking in. God, he was so tired of this happening! If last night wasn’t bad enough, now this? What was he going to do? What was he going to say? Obi-wan’s thoughts began to jumble together as he watched Anakin’s mouth moving…saying words…none of which were registering in his brain as it kept repeating the same thing over and over.

Make him stay.

Make him stay.

Give him a reason to stay! 

It wasn’t until Anakin stepped closer and placed a warm hand on Obi-wan’s shoulders that he felt grounded once more. Obi-wan grasped onto Anakin’s hand and his heart soared when Anakin didn’t pull away. Finally, whatever it was Anakin was trying to say begin to seep into his jumbled thoughts.

“Are you alright Obi-wan? You look a bit pale.”

“Why do you need to leave Coruscant? I know our university has an engineering program. Why not try there?” Obi-wan was grasping at loose ends, but he had to keep Anakin talking, as though stalling him would make him change his mind. 

Anakin removed his hand, “you and I both know there isn’t much for me here anymore. I don’t want to get into politics anymore, I’ve always had a passion for engineering and…”

Obi-wan interrupted him, “what about Roman?”

He didn’t know why he decided to bring up his brother’s name but it was too late for second guesses. It was out in the open, and deep-down Obi-wan knew that if Anakin was willing to leave Roman behind, then he would be more than willing to leave him behind too. Anakin gave him a curious look, which Obi-wan couldn’t quite decipher, “Roman’s been very good to me but I can’t keep relying on him to help me along. I’ve got my life in order and it’s time for me to take a risk.”

Obi-wan felt like he was sinking in quicksand. 

“But what about…my campa…” Obi-wan stopped himself before he went any further. No. He wasn’t going to do this. Not right now. He wasn’t going to put his campaign before his own personal feelings, so he swallowed thickly and tried again, “what about me, Anakin? What about us?”

“What about us,” Anakin said quietly, and although he didn’t say it unkindly, Obi-wan felt like he had just been stabbed in the chest.

“I told you the night of the banquet that once the campaign was over I wanted to start something with you,” Obi-wan took a step closer to Anakin who simply removed his hands from his jean pockets and crossed his arms across his chest as though to ward Obi-wan off. If anything, this just made Obi-wan press on harder.

“I’ve been trying to contact you for the past few days Anakin, and you’ve ignored me. If you would just listen to me, I could make you see…” Anakin frowned at Obi-wan.

“What makes you think that even if you had spoken to me sooner, that I would have changed my mind? I need to do this for myself Obi-wan. I’ve had a lifetime of people thinking they know what’s best for me, so it’s time for me to move on.”

Obi-wan held his breath as he whispered, “do you mean me?” To his relief Anakin didn’t answer right away, but he seemed to be thinking about what he could say to Obi-wan to make him understand, which wasn’t really a good sign either, but Obi-wan was willing to listen. At last, Anakin sighed and looked away from Obi-wan’s piercing gaze before finding the right words.

“I never wanted things to get so…complicated…” Anakin sighed, looking at Obi-wan squarely in the face with the look of a man who was determined to state his case once and for all.

“…but it goes without saying that I enjoyed being a part of your campaign. I enjoyed learning new things, and I especially enjoyed being near you…but I don’t need to tell you again Obi-wan that what I wanted from you and what you were willing to give me was night and day.”

Obi-wan opened his mouth to contradict him, but Anakin just raised his palms up to silently ask Obi-wan to stop. Obi-wan’s mouth shut completely as he watched Anakin whispered, “you know it’s true. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have left the morning after we…you know.”

“I told you I didn’t want to see you after the campaign Obi-wan and although it was said in the heat of the moment, I still think it would be best,” Obi-wan couldn’t help the tiny sob that escaped from his throat, causing Anakin to stop talking and look directly at him before moving closer the moment he saw tears begin to form in Obi-wan’s eyes.

Anakin seemed truly perplexed by this.

“Obi-wan…you can’t seriously…you can’t honestly feel upset about this. Nothing…you’ve given me nothing to suggest that you felt anything more than…” it was at this point that Obi-wan held his own hands up to stop Anakin from speaking. He walked towards Anakin’s couch and sat down heavily on the couch cushions, covering his face with his shaking hands as he soaked in everything Anakin had just said.

“I’m such a fool,” he whispered against the palms of his hands and he could feel his entire body begin to heat up as both shame and anger began to take hold. Shame for what he had managed to do to Anakin and their budding relationship, and anger towards himself for being the catalyst that caused Anakin to feel like he needed to move to get away from his problems.

In the words of his baby brother, he had indeed fucked things up.

It wasn’t until he felt the couch cushions dip beside him that he realized Anakin had moved and was now sitting beside him, not too close but close enough that Obi-wan could have turned around and placed both hands on Anakin’s face in a heartbeat. Obi-wan had to take another deep breath to stop himself from doing such a thing, so instead he brought his hands down into his lap and dug his fingernails into the palms of his hands instead to steady himself.

“I’m sorry Obi-wan if what I’ve said has hurt you, but you have to admit this was never going to work out. I was foolish to think…” Obi-wan stood up and turned towards Anakin, pointing his finger right at him as his anger took over.

“Don’t you DARE! Don’t you dare say this wouldn’t have worked! I have been trying to tell you how I’ve felt since the banquet! I tried showing you with words to no avail. I tried to show you physically, and it just made things worse! I’m lost Anakin…I don’t…I can’t…” Obi-wan turned away from Anakin who was looking at him with such pity that it made him lose his focus. Everything that he had been holding back when it came to repressing his emotions was coming to the surface. All his life he had not allowed himself to feel such strong emotions, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good thanks to his upbringing.

But Anakin was changing all of that. He was rewriting everything and he was leaving.

Running his hands through his hair, Obi-wan gripped it tightly to gain some kind of control. Grounding himself slightly by the sting, Obi-wan wanted to say just that, but before Obi-wan could say anything, Anakin raised both his hands and cupped Obi-wan’s face, rubbing his thumbs against Obi-wan’s cheekbones.

“If it makes you feel any better, this is the most I’ve seen you express emotion since we met and it makes me happy,” Obi-wan huffed out a water laugh before rolling his eyes, unable to look at Anakin’s caring expression when it was right in front of him. But Anakin was a patient man and simply waited until Obi-wan’s gaze came back towards him, as he continued to stroke his cheeks.

“I’m glad you came over tonight Obi-wan. I’ve spent enough time being angry. So thank you for being so honest. But I have to leave. It’s the right thing to do,” before Obi-wan could say anything in return, Anakin leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Obi-wan’s lips. It was like an electric shock went through Obi-wan, who quickly latched onto Anakin and wrapped his arms around him as tightly as he could, so that Anakin wouldn’t leave.

Just like at the banquet, Obi-wan tried to pour all his feelings into the kiss. But unlike at the banquet, Anakin was in complete control and stopped Obi-wan from going too far, while keeping him close.

Obi-wan moaned loudly as Anakin pulled away, resting his forehead against Obi-wan’s. 

“Please promise me something,” Obi-wan knew he had one more chance to make Anakin spend time with him, and therefore one more chance to convince him to stay. Tonight wasn’t the night. Anakin was set in his ways and being stubborn, something that Obi-wan loved about him, but he also knew he needed a couple of days to regroup before making another move to try and convince Anakin of his feelings.

“Promise me that you won’t leave until you go out for supper with me. One supper…” Obi-wan clarified the moment Anakin leaned his head back and give Obi-wan an incredulous look.

“One supper Anakin. That’s all I ask. One supper, and then I can say good-bye.” Obi-wan knew deep down that he wasn’t playing fair, but he also knew he needed to see Anakin one more time, and if Anakin still turned him down, the memory would at least keep him warm at night until he saw Anakin again.

Anakin’s eyes softened slightly, which gave Obi-wan hope. Anakin opened his mouth, but was interrupted as Obi-wan’s cellphone began to ring. Anakin quickly shut his mouth, but Obi-wan reached across and took Anakin’s hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Forget my phone. It’s not what’s important right now. Tell me you’ll let me take you out for supper Anakin. Let me see you before you go, just you and me.” Obi-wan watched as Anakin’s brow began to loosen, as though his words were finally getting through.

“Alright, I will…” Obi-wan’s spirits soared at Anakin’s words, but they were interrupted again as Anakin’s house phone started ringing.

“I think I better get that. It must be important. Not too many people know my house number,” Obi-wan let go of Anakin’s hand reluctantly, but let him walk towards his kitchen where his phone was located. Obi-wan listened carefully as Anakin answered his house phone, pulling out his own cellphone to check and see who had phoned him. Seeing Roman’s number pop up on his screen, Obi-wan raised a curious eyebrow, wondering what Roman was calling him for so late in the evening.

“Yeah…he’s here…sure, hang on…” Anakin moved back into his sitting room and stood beside Obi-wan who mouthed, “who is it?” Anakin placed his hand over the mouthpiece before whispering, “it’s Roman. He said he tried to call you.”

Putting the phone back to his ear, Anakin listened and even Obi-wan could hear the frantic pace of Roman’s speech. But it wasn’t until Anakin’s face began to grow pale and he let out a quiet _fuck_ that Obi-wan stepped closer and placed a hand on Anakin’s arm to get his attention.

“Anakin…what is it…is it Qui-gon,” Obi-wan was afraid to ask, but based on Anakin’s face and his brother’s tone, he assumed the worst. Thankfully, Anakin quickly shook his head in the negative. Obi-wan let out a breath and let Anakin end his conversation with Roman. He waited until Anakin removed the phone from his ear before asking, “what is it Anakin? What was Roman calling about?”

Anakin’s piercing blue eyes seemed to change color and become unsettled as he turned towards Obi-wan and said in a dangerous tone of voice, “Roman’s club is on fire. _Black Mask_ has been destroyed.” 


End file.
